Below Decks
by DaniWilder
Summary: Atlantis through the eyes of archaeologist Victoria Parker. An OC story about some of the unknown people of Atlantis. Cameos by a lot of our favorites.
1. Insecurity

**MGM owns a few of the characters, but most are OC's belonging to me.**

**A/N: Inspired by a favorite Star Trek: TNG episode called Below Decks. Thanks Betherdy for the beta and all of you for checking out an OC story.  
**

* * *

Doctor Victoria Parker rolled her blue eyes at her lunch companions. Once again Elisa Reynolds and Doctor Juanita Esposito were talking about men as if they were teenagers and not women in their early thirties. Her other lunch companions were deep in their own thoughts and ignoring the juvenile banter.

Looking around the mess hall for something to concentrate on besides the bland food they always got before the Daedalus arrived, she saw Doctor Jennifer Keller stealing French fries from Doctor Rodney McKay's plate as Victoria's department head waved his fork around. Unable to keep from laughing and smiling, she said, "They're so sweet together."

"Who?" Juanita said loudly. The woman wasn't capable of speaking softly.

"Doctor Keller and Doctor McKay," Victoria said. "They're a cute couple."

"Oh, no, no, no," Doctor Esposito replied, shaking her head and wagging a finger at the petite brunette. "Do _not_ say _Doctor McKay_ and _cute_ in the same breath."

"I think Doctor McKay's cute," Victoria stated. "He's got a great smile, when he shows it, and incredible blue eyes."

"Tori, you need to get to the infirmary if you think McKay's the best looking thing around here," Juanita laughed as she took a drink of coffee.

"I never said that. I only said I think he's cute," she replied, exasperated with the senior engineer. In addition to calling her Tori, which she hated, Juanita insisted on talking about the men on the base like they were cattle. Having three older brothers made her feel like she needed to protect all the men from this harpy.

"Doctor McKay is cute, in that... pompous, absent-minded professor-way," Heather added from Victoria's immediate right. She and Elisa worked at the help desk and was one of the first people Victoria befriended when she arrived six months ago. Heather's boyfriend, Sergeant Tommy Stackhouse, and she often invited the new arrival to watch movies or hang out with them, but Victoria didn't like being a third wheel.

"Puh-lease," Juanita said, rolling her eyes. "Now…" She sat up straight and flipped her black hair off her shoulders, "…that's what I call a smorgasbord."

Victoria turned and followed Juanita's eyes to the next table. "You guys seriously need to grow up," Victoria stated, shaking her head. "We're on another planet in a city that can fly through space and you still only want to get laid. I really…"

"Give me any one of those guys and I'd keep 'em in my quarters for at least a month," Elisa interrupted as her gaze wandered over the muscular men.

Victoria loved details, which is probably why she excelled in archaeology. In high school and college she knew who everyone in her class was even if they couldn't pick her out of a line up. The minutia she knew about everyone could've been put into a novel. Because of her observational skills, she knew the identities of the men at the next table well; the Alpha males of the Corp: Master Gunnery Sergeant Richards and Sergeants Carter, Warrington and Raven.

Most of them came to Atlantis with the initial expedition and served in the SGC for years before that. All were highly decorated and heavily sought after by the eligible women on the base. Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne and Ronon Dex were the most dreamed about, but most women knew they were unattainable. _These Marines on the other hand were more approachable._

"Doctor Parker," a heavily accented voice came from behind, pulling her out of her musings.

"Doctor Sidorov," Victoria replied as she stood up and faced her boss. The Russian archaeologist with wild black hair was a man of few words and even fewer social skills. The fact that she lasted for six months working for him without breaking down in tears was apparently a new record.

"You vill go to M3G888 tomorrow," the Russian barked as he turned to leave. "Oh, get gun from armory and be ready to leave at eight hundred. 'ave good day."

"But…" Victoria felt her food coming back up as she slumped back into her seat.

"I hate you," Juanita spat.

"What'd she do?" Heather snapped.

"She's going to M3G888," the engineer said with distain. Juanita didn't care for Heather because she was rumored to be engaged and would neither admit nor deny the fact to Altantis' biggest gossip.

"Really?" Heather shot back. "What's so special about that?"

"Tori's going off world with SGA1 _and_ 2: Sheppard, Ronon, Richards, Lorne, Raven, shall I go on? How many hot men does this woman, who appreciates none of them, get to spend her day with?" Juanita whined. Casting a glare at Victoria, she grabbed her tray and huffed off.

"She's… you know… PMS-ing," Elisa said as she got up to follow her friend.

"You'll be perfectly fine," Heather said, patting her shoulder. "You've survived Vlad the Impaler for six months. What's some Wraith?"

"SGA1 and 2 are the best teams," Miko Kusanagi added. "They'll keep you safe."

"I'm not worried about being safe," she said. "I'm worried about being disembodied."

"Oh, Gate travel is fine…" Miko, who seldom spoke unless it involved explaining something, began a long description of the physics of gate travel.

Victoria didn't hear it. Even with Heather and Miko trying to make her feel better, she was so scared she couldn't move. Other than being beamed onto the Daedalus to leave Earth, she'd managed to not be dismantled during her brief tenure with the SGC. _Tomorrow I need to leave Atlantis with the premiere gate teams through a stargate and I'm going to vomit._

* * *

"It's not my job to show useless civilians how to shoot," Corporal Justin Sullivan, as his nametag read, snapped at Victoria. He continued to berate her and complain about _stupid_ scientists who deserved to be eaten by Wraith. She zoned him out as her trembling hands gripped the big handgun, which said HK45 on the barrel, and the clips of training ammunition.

She'd gone to the firing range late in the evening after much coaxing from Doctor Pamela Simpson. The older woman ran a woman's networking group on the base and Victoria admired her immensely because of her ability to navigate all the difficult personalities in the Science and Engineering department.

It was the ex-Air Force officer that assured her the Marines manning the weapons' cage were there to help anyone who needed a refresher. It would appear her mentor was gravely mistaken.

"S-so-sorry to bother you, Corporal," she mumbled as she turned before tears leaked from her eyes. _I won't cry in front of that…_ It was hard for the young woman to call the soldier a jerk because she truly admired and respected anyone who put on the uniform. She'd been warned that many of the male soldiers around the base could be rude and crude, but had never experienced it until now. _Not like the scientists were nicer._

The Marines who always seemed to be sitting at the next table over from hers at meal time smiled, nodded their heads and said _Hello, Doctor_ when she ran into them during their patrols. This Corporal obviously didn't have the same manners as the Sergeants. Trying to brush aside the man's boorish behavior and concentrate on the task at hand was going to be difficult.

The gun was heavy and she honestly couldn't remember how to load it, remove the safe, aim or anything else useful. She'd been assured when she signed up for the program that a junior archaeologist would never need a weapon or have to leave Atlantis. _There's so much to study in the City of the Ancients, you won't have to go anywhere._

"Liar," she muttered thinking of Doctor Daniel Jackson's briefing.

* * *

She stood in a middle stall in the stationary firing range when laughter interrupted her wallowing in self-pity so she leaned back to look around the wall. The very same Marines she just thought about were coming out of the larger firing range in the back, which Pamela said contained moving targets for the soldiers and Gate teams to practice with.

Trying to clear her blurry vision, she looked down at the gun and clip in front of her. _Lock and load. Just shove the clip into the handle. You can do this._ Taking deep breaths to control her panic she suddenly remembered the time she ended up on a busy highway when sixteen and just learning to drive. Years ago she pulled over and cried on her brother's shoulder for twenty minutes before he forced her back onto the busy road. Patrick had told her she could do it and sure enough they made it home in one piece. _No Christopher, Patrick or Kyle to cry on this time. Just me and this huge gun. _

"You can do this," she whispered as she put on her earmuffs and safety glasses, the two items nasty Corporal Sullivan made sure she took with her, _to be safe_._ If I don't kill myself I'll be lucky._

Gun shots from the other end of the range startled her after she picked up the gun, causing her to pull the trigger before she had a firm grip on it. A short scream escaped her lips after the powerful recoil jerked her hands up and resulted in her dropping the gun so it landed out on the range.

"Oh no," she cried, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. _How the hell do I get the gun back?_

TBC

**

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A/N: Thanks for letting me try out some original characters in our favorite universe. I have a bit more and if you like it, I have a lot more.  
**


	2. The Firing Range

**A/N: Thanks for the awesome response to my fiction. It's been more than I expected. This chapter is partially beta'd so mistakes are mine. (Thanks Scr1 and Betherdy Babe for your review.)**

* * *

Victoria pulled off her earmuffs and safety glasses as she peered over the table to see where the gun lay. Knowing there were other people on the range, she only had one choice: return to the Marine in the cage and prove his point about her worth. The tears in her eyes screamed to fall and preventing them seemed unavoidable.

"Are you okay, Doctor Parker?" a deep voice asked from behind her.

A startled squeak made it out as she jumped back from the table. Her tears vanished because she was now terrified. _Try to think of something witty to say. __Hey, how'd he know my name?_

"We didn't know anyone else was in here," a louder, more jovial voice said.

Realizing they'd probably think she shot herself if she didn't face them, Victoria turned and saw the four large Marines surrounding her. Their combined height and breadth nearly drown out the Ancient lighting from the wall behind.

Sergeant Raven looked at her with raised brows. Sergeant Warrington's infectious smile that he always flashed her when she saw him in the corridors was absent and replaced by a look of genuine concern. Carter, who towered over her five-foot-two frame, stood closest to her with a cocky grin.

"I…" She really couldn't come up with anything useful to say as she stood face-to-face with seasoned warriors.

"What are you doing here, Doctor Parker?" Richards asked, glancing past her to the clips on the bench.

Because Richards stood directly in front of her, she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. His eyes, dark grey in color like the sky above a stormy sea, focused intently on her face. She'd never felt so exposed before. Even a lowly archaeologist heard of _his_ exploits_. And here I am standing like a complete idiot in front of one of the bravest, smartest soldiers to ever live unable to put two words together._ "Uh…"

"You're scaring her, Master Gunny," Carter said, laughter filling his voice.

"Did you get hit by the weapon?" Raven asked as he looked past her to see where her gun had fallen.

"No," she managed. "I… It… I wasn't ready to fire. Then I got startled…"

"Way to go, Carter, scaring people because you're an idiot," Warrington said in an equally deep voice.

"I only wanted to show I could shoot left-handed as well as right," Carter said, smiling at her. He had brown eyes and tightly cropped blond hair that made him one of Juanita's favorite men to drool over. The tight black t-shirt showed off his muscular arms and hid the top of a USMC tattoo that covered his left bicep.

"I'd forgotten how to handle the gun," she admitted, finally looking away from the soul-searching gaze of Master Gunny Richards.

"They sent you out here without knowing how to shoot?" Raven asked. His green eyes reminded her of the cornfields on her grandfather's farm in upstate New York.

"No, I learned," she said, shaking her head and causing her ponytail to swish back and forth. _I must look like I'm twelve, not thirty._ "I just haven't had to so I… I forgot."

"And now you have to?" Carter asked.

"Yes, I'm going off world tomorrow," she glanced between the four men and swallowed.

"With us?" Carter's eyebrows rose up his forehead.

"I'll try not to get you killed. I promise." Her panic was kicking into full gear.

Laughter erupted around her and even Richards' lips curved upwards.

Absolute horror shot through Victoria as she felt uncontrollable tears well up in her eyes again. _No, please don't cry._ "I'm sorry I forgot how to shoot," she began to babble as she often did when fighting back tears. "Doctor S-Simpson said the Marine down here would help me. But when I got here the Corporal told me I was an idiot for not remembering and basically said I should sacrifice myself to the Wraith to save all of you the effort of trying to rescue me. And then the gun was huge so I dropped it."

Silence greeted her outburst. The grey eyes in front of her darkened into a steely grey that made her cold. His entire body tensed as his hand rose to his earwig. "Major Lorne. Master Gunny Richards, sir. I'm sorry to bother you so late, but could you come to the firing range?"

Victoria glanced at the other Marines, noting that Raven had gone out on the range to retrieve her weapon. Warrington nodded at her and Carter smiled.

"What…" she started only to be silenced by Raven's interruption.

"Is this the gun the Corporal gave you, ma'am?" he asked, holding the large gun that seemed to fit his hand easily.

"Yes," she replied.

Raven looked at Gunny, whose eyes zeroed in on the gun.

"He can join us, sir," Richards responded over the COM. His eyes moved from the gun in Raven's hand to his face. "Raven, get me Corporal Sullivan."

"Sure thing, Master Gunny," Raven said as he handed Richards her weapon.

_What's going on?_ She was still shocked from the gun incident so her brain was playing catch up, something she didn't like.

"Doctor Parker," Richards said. "I'm sorry you were subjected to such disrespectful behavior." His even bigger hands easily removed the clip and round from the chamber as he addressed her.

"Oh," Victoria was stunned by the words the big Marine was speaking. "You don't need to apologize for him." A smile came over her lips as she realized he was trying to make amends for one rotten apple.

"I'm a fellow Marine. When one of us discredits the uniform, it impacts all of us," Richards continued, his voice softened, as did his eyes.

Victoria felt a grin fix onto her face. His rich voice seemed to calm her. _If the rumor mill is correct, he's the only one to take down Ronon and Teal'C in hand to hand combat. Not to mention how many men, Goa'uld, Jaffa and Wraith he's killed. Now he's trying to apologize to me for some jerk's behavior.  
_

Raven, with Corporal Sullivan in tow, came back onto the range. All three Marines turned to face the new arrival. The offending creep shot a look of pure hatred at Victoria and it caused her to tremble.

Richards immediately stepped between her and Sullivan as Lorne followed by Colonel Sheppard entered the room. Both men were in civilian clothing and Victoria groaned as she realized what was going to happen. _Sullivan's getting in trouble for being rude to me. Oh, no, no, no. _

The Colonel's eyes zeroed in on Victoria nearly hidden behind Richards' frame and she felt her cheeks blaze.

"I…" She started only to have Warrington put a hand on her forearm. "No need to say anything, ma'am," he said quietly.

Carter chuckled so her eyes darted from the friendly face of the Bermudan to the smiling face of the tattooed Sergeant.

Carter winked and muttered softly, "Watch and learn."

"Colonel. Major." Richards addressed his superiors. "I'm sorry to pull you out of the poker game…"

"Oh, Zelenka and McKay were counting cards again," Sheppard lamented. "No fun to play with cheaters."

"I think you were _all_ cheating, sir," Lorne added. "Leaving us poor working slobs to pay for your plush quarters."

Sheppard laughed and Victoria could see his appeal. The handsome face, unruly hair and quick wit could make most women swoon. Of course she wasn't most women because she had three brothers just like him back on Earth.

"Corporal Sullivan," Richards said, drawing the shocked soldier's attention from his military commanders' back to his Master Gunnery Sergeant. "Is Doctor Parker a member of the military?"

"What?" Sullivan asked, glancing at Victoria.

She wanted to bury her head behind the Master Gunny but stood her ground. The woman had no clue what Richards was getting at.

"Corporal," Richards barked, his harsh voice startling everyone in the room. "I'm asking the questions, not Doctor Parker." The big man stepped forward and the Corporal appeared to shrink in his shadow.

"Sure, Master Gunny," he replied, locking his eyes onto the cold ones that interrogated him.

"Is she a member of the military?"

"No"

"Is she on a Gate team?" Richards growled.

"No," Sullivan said with more attitude. He looked at the Major and Colonel as if to say _this guy's insane_.

"Then why is she unsupervised and unescorted on the firing range when we were doing live drills in the other room? And why was she issued a Special Forces' firearm?" He raised the handgun for everyone to see.

Richards' voice dropped and Victoria swore the room temperature did too. A small part of her, the girl who loved stories of knights and princesses, was sad this wasn't because he insulted her. _He violated protocol, that's what this is all about._

"Doctor Parker, were you injured?" Sheppard's voice held concern, but the set of his face told her he was pissed.

"What?" She was slightly taken aback by the direct question from the Colonel. "Oh, no. I… I dropped the gun but wasn't injured."

"She's approved for training," Sullivan whined, obviously fearful of punishment. "It said she'd done her certification at the SGC."

"On an HK45?" Richards' voice silenced Sullivan. "You felt it was okay to send someone who hasn't touched a weapon since they stepped foot on Atlantis in here… _alone_… with a gun nearly twice the size of a standard issue Beretta?"

Victoria saw panic in the young man's eyes. She didn't know about military justice, but imagined a written warning and maybe some lowly duty were in order for the Corporal. _Surely nothing to bring about the look on his face._

"I… Sirs," he glanced at the officers.

"Corporal Sullivan," Lorne addressed him in a low voice after a glance at Sheppard. "You're relieved of duty. Report to your quarters and pack. We happen to be dialing Earth in the morning so you'll be heading out first thing."

"What?" he stated.

"Excuse me?" Lorne's voice got colder and deeper.

"Sir, I'm being reassigned because..." his voice broke slightly.

"Raven. Warrington. Get the Corporal out of here before I forget my manners." Richards cold stare stopped all speech from the younger man.

"Move it, Corporal," Raven said.

All friendliness left Warrington's face as his bearing became one of hostility toward the man he was going to escort. It looked like the man was going to jail and not just his quarters.

Victoria was stunned and felt she needed to say something about the man who got fired. "I shouldn't have come here without finding someone to give me a refresher. Don't punish him because I messed up. Please."

"Doctor Parker," Gunny turned and was suddenly looking down at her, "Don't apologize. It's the duty of whoever runs the range to make sure everyone has all they need to practice with. If you needed lessons it was his responsibility to find someone to provide them."

"Yeah, I mean we were next door," Carter said. "Any one of us could help."

"I'm sure I can spend a bit of time with you, Doctor…" Sheppard cocked his eyebrow and smiled.

"Victoria Parker," she answered after realizing he was waiting for her to introduce herself. "From archaeology, Colonel."

"I'm sure I can show you a thing or two about how to fire a handgun, Doctor Parker," the Colonel replied as he reached out to shake her hand. "And you can call me John."

"No," she said as she shook his hand, releasing it quickly. "It wouldn't be right. I'd rather call you Colonel Sheppard. And you don't need to…"

"I'll do it, sir," Richards interrupted. "Enjoy your evening and show those geniuses we're not all dumb grunts."

Victoria was shocked. She looked up at the Marine and saw a determined look on his face. "No, I couldn't..."

"Well, you can't get any better weapons' training than from Master Gunny Richards," the Colonel said, looking amused. "I need to do the transfer paperwork and pass him off to Landry anyways."

"Sir," Richards said. "You might want to check out the security tapes. I think the General won't want him after he watches those."

"What else did he do?" Lorne asked.

Victoria's brows knitted. _What is he talking about now?_

"He was disrespectful to Doctor Parker."

The officers nodded in unison and the Colonel addressed her, "I'm sorry. He'll be out of the SGC before he knows what hit him. Any disrespectful behavior is not tolerated."

Victoria had no more words. Her honor was defended, she was getting weapons' training from the premier soldier on the base and Captain Kirk himself tried to flirt with her. _Yup, definitely sleeping soundly on my lab bench._

_TBC_


	3. A Night at the Range

**MGM owns a few characters, but most are mine.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the interest in this. My betas can tell you I didn't want to publish it because I didn't think anyone would want to read about primarily OCs in the Atlantis universe, but I've been mistaken. I hope I can hold your interest.**

**This story references some characters and events from another one of my stories, **_**Rodney McKay Runs the Help Desk**_**. **

* * *

Victoria finished her warm up stretches and headed out the door for her 6:00am daily run. Since she was little, she always loved to run. Her mother said it started as a way to get away from her brothers' torment, but as she got older Victoria knew it was a time she could be alone.

Growing up with three older brothers was not easy; especially since one of them was a straight A student and all of them were jocks. Her straight A's weren't as significant and her athletic abilities were limited, but when she ran, none of that mattered_. Just me against myself. _

"Morning," Heather called out as she jogged up to Victoria.

"Good morning," she replied as her thoughts drifted far away from the self-proclaimed computer geek.

"You seem particularly cheerful today."

Victoria only nodded as she remembered the previous evening. Unable to keep a smile from her lips, the archaeologist looked out at the sunrise to avoid catching Heather's eyes.

"What happened last night? Pamela had to practically force you to the range and now you can't stop grinning. Did you get picked up or something?" she questioned.

"Don't tell me you only think about hooking up too?" Victoria snapped at Heather, losing the smile from her face.

"Touchy," Heather smiled. "You'll tell me eventually. I have no doubt about that."

Victoria loved Heather's ability to speak her mind and then never revisit a topic again. _It's a great trait in a friend to allow you to reveal your secrets at your own pace or never at all._ The archaeologist had no real desire to share her evening with anyone. _At least not yet._

* * *

She wasn't happy or smiling once Major Lorne and Colonel Sheppard left. Victoria was upset that she just got someone fired even if they deserved it.

"Please don't tell me the Corporal lost his job because I said he called me an idiot," Victoria questioned Richards and Carter.

"Carter, put the gun away and bring me a 9 mil." Richards didn't appear to notice her comment or the concerned tone in her voice.

"Don't you dare feel bad," Carter replied, grinning broadly. "You're my hero. His little screw up here was the final straw to get his sorry a-…"

"Carter!" Richards snapped.

Victoria jumped at the tone of his voice, but Carter only chuckled. "Sorry, Master Gunny. I know. I violated some sacred oath of never discussing a bad Marine with…"

"Personnel matters shouldn't be discussed by _you_. Period." Richards glared at the other man. "Now bring me the gun."

Victoria was trying desperately to think of what she _knew_ about Richards. Not the rumors and speculation but the facts._ I thought all the soldiers were terrified of him. Carter doesn't seem to be. Maybe he's a big, lovable teddy bear underneath._

"You know, even my four-year-old nephew knows about _please_," Carter replied.

"When a superior tells you..." Richards started.

"_Superior_." Carter looked at Victoria and winked. "Looks like I'm finally pissing him off. Only took about a decade."

"Carter!" Richards barked again as he crossed his arms.

"I'll get the gun." Carter smiled, winked at Victoria and left.

The few minutes while Carter was gone seemed to drag on for Victoria. She wanted to say something more about Sullivan, but Carter implied he'd been messing up and this was the final straw. Once again, disappointment at the real reason for Richards' anger surfaced. _Who are you that a warrior like him would care if you were insulted?_ _It's all part of the case against Sullivan._

"What do you remember from your weapons' training?" Richards asked, breaking the silence.

"Very basic stuff," she replied. "And you don't have to do this."

"You want me to take an unprepared person in the field?" One eyebrow rose as he surveyed her from his over six-foot height.

Looking into his grey eyes, she suddenly realized she had no idea of his age. His face was ruggedly handsome – to quote a romance novel – but there was a bit of grey on the sides of his classic high and tight Marine haircut. _I think I heard he was in the Corp thirty years, but he can't be fifty? Can he?_

Looking at defined muscles visible under his dark navy blue t-shirt, she heard someone clear their throat. The archaeologist felt bile rise from her stomach and a hot wave flood her face. _He didn't just catch me checking him out?_

"Got the gun," Carter called, saving her from humiliation.

"Great," Richards said, taking it from the other Marine. In a flash, he'd checked it over and set it on the table.

"I'm not going to make a fool of myself in front of both of you," Victoria confessed.

"You won't," Richards replied. "Carter, take over the cage until it closes."

"What? The cage?" Carter finally looked pissed. "I'm not…"

"Now."

The single word and tone sent the other Marine slinking back down the hall without a word. Although Victoria swore she heard him chuckle as he passed into the secured gun room.

* * *

"You're really in the clouds this morning," Heather said, pulling her out of her memories.

"Sorry," Victoria replied. "I'm nervous about the gate travel later."

"If Doctor McKay, the biggest hypochondriac, ever goes through the gate you better believe it's safe," her friend replied as she increased the pace.

Another smile at the thought of how safe she'd be passed through her head. _Richards will make sure everything runs smoothly. I just know it._

* * *

After the Marine showed her how to properly load the gun and change clips, he motioned for her to shoot it. The calm that settled over her while listening to his deep, sure voice turned into a nervous energy that bubbled out. I need to shoot this in front of an expert like him. "Isn't this where you stand behind me and _show_ me how to hold the gun?" she laughed before she realized exactly what she said.

Richards' deep chuckle surprised her. "If you want me too."

"Wha-. No. No, I'm sorry. Just nervous babbling," she said.

"It's my job as your instructor to make sure you can fire when nervous and under pressure," he said, with barely suppressed mirth in his voice.

"I didn't think you were this… humorous," she said and then gasped. "I'm sorry. That sounds terrible. I don't know you and you don't know me…"

"You're Doctor Victoria Parker from Glens Falls, New York, near Saratoga Springs. You've been on Atlantis for six months and three days; you're the junior member of the Archaeology department and like to run every morning. Is that enough?" A single eyebrow rose and his mouth barely suppressed a smile.

"How?" Her own brows furrowed.

"I'm a senior member of security and omnipotent."

Victoria paused for a moment before she realized he was joking again. Her laughter echoed through the empty firing range. "I can believe the last part."

* * *

"Okay," Heather stopped running and stepped in front of Victoria, who had to stop to avoid running into her friend.

"What're you doing?" Victoria said, slightly out of breath.

"Staring into space. Not saying a word," Heather said with arms crossed. "Then suddenly laughing for no reason. Did you drink something last night?"

"Can't I be in a good mood?" Victoria countered, not ready to confide in anyone about her evening.

"Good morning, Doctor Parker," two deep male voices called as they ran past, carrying large backpacks.

"Good morning, Sergeant Raven and Sergeant Warrington," she called after them.

"After this mission, I'm getting Pamela and we're locking you up until you spill your secret," Heather threatened before turning. "I can't be late, so let's go. Since Dwayne got promoted, he's a slave driver."

"Whatever," Victoria replied, rolling her eyes as the smile returned now that Heather was behind her.

* * *

"Are you ready, Doctor Parker?" the Master Gunny asked after she calmed down from her laughing fit.

"Victoria. Please. I still feel weird being called _doctor_ all the time," she confided.

"You should be proud of your degree," Richards said from his post, leaning against the dividing wall to the next stall. "Now, quit stalling, _Doctor_."

She chuckled and pulled her safety equipment back on. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the gun and squeezed the trigger. _Don't pull, squeeze_, Gunny had told her during his instructions.

The bullet went below the target and the second went wide left. One nicked the edge of the paper, but that was as close as she came. Putting down the gun, dejectedly, Victoria closed her eyes and waited for the ridicule.

But it didn't come. Opening her eyes, she saw humor but not annoyance in the grey eyes watching her. "Don't hold back. I'm used to guys picking on me over my failings."

"What guys?" Richards stepped closer.

"My older brothers," she said, smiling sadly. "It was their mission in life to tease their baby sister."

Richards nodded and seemed to relax back into his previous position. "Why don't you try again?"

"I doubt I'm going to be able to hit the target. I did everything you told me to do," she said, looking at the gun she had set on the table.

The Master Gunny laughed, a deep sound that rumbled out of his chest.

"What's so funny?"

"I can help you to hit the target every time," he replied.

"How?"

"By _showing_ you how to hold the gun," he chuckled.

Victoria's breath caught in her throat because his eyes twinkled and a smile, which she imagined he seldom shared, lit up his face. It was impossible not to laugh as well. "Fine, but watch where you put your hands."

**

* * *

TBC**

**A/N: For my usual fans, I hope Richards doesn't seem too different. He is talking to a different woman than he usually interacts with. **


	4. Doctor Simpson's Boyfriend

**MGM owns a few of the characters, but most are OC's belonging to me.**

**A/N: Thank you to all the reviews and people who put this on alert or favorite. Thanks Betherdy for your beta.**

* * *

"Victoria!" a voice echoed down the corridor after they entered the base of the central tower. The runners turned to see Doctor Pamela Simpson rushing toward them with her blond hair flying behind her.

"Good morning…" the archaeologist started only to be cut off by her older friend.

"Are you okay?" Pamela put a hand on her shoulder and nodded to Heather. "That idiot didn't get you injured did he?"

"What?" both women exclaimed at the same time.

"Injured? You better tell me what happened last night," Heather said in a threatening tone.

"No, I didn't…"

"That's good," Pamela interrupted, squeezing her shoulder. "If I knew something like that was gonna happened, I'd never send you there without me. I'm glad he's outta here or he'd be off the pier with my boot in his ass."

Victoria saw Heather's eyebrows rise as the older woman threatened the recently fired Corporal Sullivan. "I'm fine. It was nothing…"

"I heard all about it and it wasn't _nothing_," Pamela snapped. "I'm sorry but I'm gonna be late for McKay's staff meeting. He's gotta lay down the law because both he and Zelenka are leaving. Even though he's getting some each night, he's still a bear in the morning."

"Pamela!" Victoria snapped at her reference to their department head's love life.

The engineer laughed. "You didn't work for him before Keller came along. He was a real ball-buster back then. But as it was usually Kavanagh's that got busted, I didn't mind. The happier McKay is better though. I'll catch you for dinner tomorrow." Pamela started walking away and then turned back. "And don't worry about the mission. You're in the best hands in the galaxy going off world today."

Victoria was stunned. "How did Pamela know about last night?" she muttered as she turned toward the transporter.

"What happened last night?" Heather asked as she grabbed Victoria's arm and spun her so she could see her face.

"Did I say that out loud?" the archaeologist asked wide-eyed.

"Obviously. Now spill it," Heather requested. "You're scaring me."

"The Marine who was supposed to help me learn to shoot was a jerk and gave me a gun way to big for me to use. He'd been in trouble before and this was the last straw so he got canned." Victoria glossed over most of the events because she really didn't want to speculate on the meaning of the rest of the evening just yet.

"Wow." Heather's eyes widened. "And you're still here? I would've figured something like that would have sent you packing."

"I'm not a coward, you know," Victoria huffed. "I'm just cautious. Three brothers will do that to you. I never knew if there was going to be a frog, turtle, snake or bug in my bed."

Heather stifled a laugh. "So, tell me who was there. Tommy and I are trying to figure out who Pamela is getting _busy_ with each night."

"What?" It was the young woman's turn to be stunned again. _Pamela has a boyfriend?_

"You've gotta pay attention to some gossip." Heather smiled and finally let go of her arm. "So who was there? It's gotta be one of them because it's the only way she'd know. We know it's a soldier because she's been seen around the barracks."

Victoria thought about the men on the weapons' range the night before and decided to act like a gossipy teenager for once in her life. "Colonel Sheppard."

"Nope," Heather dismissed him quickly. "None of his relationships are secret."

"Major Lorne," she paused, chuckling over Heather's comment about the head of the military.

"Oh, he's cute, but not… I don't know… _tough_ enough for her," Heather replied. "Tommy says he's a by-the-book soldier but the men still love him. Pamela's got a wild streak so she'd probably run him into the ground."

"And then some of the Marines that sit next to us at lunchtime," she replied. A tightness was forming in her stomach and she wasn't sure why. "Raven and Warrington who just ran by…"

"Too junior," Heather replied as they paused in front of the transporter. "This guy's an officer or high-ranking Sergeant."

"Carter," Victoria said, holding her breath.

"Carter's blond, right? With a big mouth?" Heather ventured.

"Yup," Victoria replied, thinking he'd be perfect for Pamela.

"Anyone else?" Heather asked.

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Richards," she said, holding her breath.

"He's the big guy who can take on Ronon and Teyla without getting his ass kicked, right?"

"I think so. I mean… he's about as big as Ronon," Victoria said as memories of his well-conditioned body surrounding her petite frame flooded her mind. She felt heat rise through her body as she remembered his hands adjusting her grip on the gun and positioning her shoulders and elbows.

"You know how Pamela is about boxing and the martial arts, so it's gotta be him," Heather said as she swiped the door to the transport. "Ha! Wait until I tell Tommy we know who it is."

Victoria felt sick. Her stomach churned and she felt all the color that recently flooded her face drain away. Everything made perfect sense now. Why Richards and his guys were there in the first place. _Pamela sent him. And it explained why he was nice to me and took his time to show me how to shoot properly. Pamela wanted him to make her feel comfortable._

For some reason she'd felt a bond with him after that brief time together, a stronger attraction than she'd experienced ever before. He'd been patient, understanding and really wanted her to do well. _Because his girlfriend told him to, not because he's attracted to you in return._

"Are you okay?" Heather asked before she hit a spot close to their living quarters on the transporter map.

"Sure," she breathed. "I just realized I'm leaving soon."

"All the guys you just mentioned are going with you?" Heather asked.

"Yes," the distraught woman replied.

"And Ronon and Teyla and our two departmental geniuses, McKay and Zelenka?" Her friend rattled off. "You'll be as safe as can be with all of them."

Victoria nodded and turned away before the pain in her eyes produced tears. _Why would you think a big, tough guy would ever look twice at a mousey girl like you?_

**

* * *

A/N: Gotta add some angst in here. Life on Atlantis is not perfect, even for the junior folks. Also, gotta have McKeller as it's my bread-and-butter as an author. **


	5. Victoria's Encounters

**MGM owns some characters.**

**A/N: Thanks for the overwhelming response to a story about the other people on Atlantis. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for the beta. **

* * *

Victoria somehow returned to her quarters, showered, packed her backpack with a change of clothing, extra socks, hat, flashlight and a deck of cards. Years of camping with her family made her an expert on what she needed for a night out in the woods, even alien woods on a planet in another galaxy.

After tidying up her quarters for a while, she sighed heavily. _Why am I doing this? It's not like we dated and I found out he's married._ Grabbing her pack, the frustrated woman headed to the mess hall to have breakfast because she knew how important it was for her to eat before a long day.

* * *

The mess hall was packed because it was 7:00am and a lot of shifts changed between 7 and 8 in the morning. Glancing around, she didn't see any of her usual companions, so she headed to the long line to get a hot meal. The coolers and salad bar area were where people grabbed food to take with them and normally had the most visitors, but not today. The Daedalus came last night and that meant fresh food for a couple weeks.

"Doctor Parker," an amused voice spoke from behind her. On queue it was echoed by a hyena-like laugh.

Closing her eyes before turning to face her colleagues, Victoria said a silent prayer that they were not coming with her today. Flashing a forced smile, she faced Doctors Upton and Toledo and said, "How can I help you today?"

Since her arrival Doctor Upton did nothing but ridicule her and tear her down. She was positive it was because she questioned a finding of his during her first staff meeting. In her department at the University of Chicago, it was thought upon favorably to critique each other and in Area 51, her boss loved when they debated theories about the Ancients and their impact on Earth culture. Atlantis was different though. The amount of ego and hubris thrown about was staggering and a bit overwhelming to the humble girl from rural upstate New York.

"The question is how are you, Doctor Parker," Doctor Toledo said.

Doctor Antonio Toledo was Doctor Ryan Upton's perpetual sidekick and Victoria refused to partake in the gossip about the men's relationship. No matter how obnoxious or mean-spirited people were, they had the same right to privacy that she treasured. "I'm fine." It was hard for her to keep the distrust out of her voice however.

"Just wondering why you're in this long line," Upton stated. "If you're going off world with us you need to get your gear in the armory."

The desire to throw-up returned. Going off world with these two arrogant jerks who seemed to think she was a grad student they could order around was just what she needed after allowing herself to be attracted to a guy_. A guy dating one of your only friends. _

"We leave at 8am _sharp_. We're going with Doctor McKay," Antonio snickered. "You've never met Doctor McKay have you?"

"N-no," Victoria said, swallowing hard. Stories abounded about him and Victoria did overhear him chewing out an engineer one day, but it sounded like a legitimate complaint to her. The man had apparently reset some environmental controls that Doctor McKay had been working on.

"Well, you don't want to be late. That's for sure," Upton responded, sharing a look with his friend.

Victoria knew they were up to something, but it was too important for her career on Atlantis not to follow their instructions so she returned her tray and headed over to the coolers to grab some fruit and bottles of water. She snagged a couple granola bars for her backpack on the way.

Looking longingly at the trays of omelets and eggs cooked to order, she began to curse the day she accepted the offer to meet Doctor Daniel Jackson, who was an old friend of her college advisor. His tales of a new civilization whet her appetite to sign the non-disclosure form and the last year and a half resulted from that fateful day.

* * *

"Doctor Parker?" a soft voice questioned from her left as she reached in the cooler for a banana.

"Yes?" Victoria turned and looked into soft brown eyes set on an exotic looking face. _Teyla Emmagan._

"I'm Teyla and this is Ronon," the leader of the Athosians said, waving her hand at the chest of the man next to her.

"I know. Everyone knows who you are." As soon as the words came out she thought she sounded like someone running into a celebrity at the local grocery store. "I mean… in my department. Everyone knows about your cultures." _Now you just reminded Ronon about his dead world. _"I didn't mean to bring up your lost… _homes_." Feeling like a complete idiot, she stopped speaking and closed her eyes. "I'm so…"

"I was very young when I first went through a Stargate but I know it can be frightening to those who have never experienced it." A soothing voice met her rambling.

"Does everyone know I've never gone through the gate?" she asked, looking between the teammates.

"Pretty much," Ronon responded as he stood with his arms crossed and looked down at her from his towering height.

For a moment Victoria pictured another very tall, muscular guy looking down at her. Only this one was smiling and laughing as he showed her how to hold a gun.

"Ronon," Teyla scolded.

Ronon managed a half-smirk and it made Victoria realize these two non-Earthlings knew quite a bit about her culture of teasing. Smiling, she finally spoke without any nervousness at meeting representatives from other planets. "I have some friends who are engineers and physicists and they explained it to me enough so that I'm not terrified."

"We will be there if you need any assistance," Teyla said with a warm smile.

"Assistance?"

"I occasionally have to shove or pull McKay through the gate," Ronon stated. "I'm sure I can do the same for you."

Victoria finally laughed. "I don't think it'll come to that or I hope it won't."

"We shall see you shortly," Teyla responded.

"Thank you." Victoria nodded as they walked away. Having two of the most famous residents of the Pegasus galaxy say _hello_ and try to alleviate her fears boosted her ego.

As Victoria walked to the door she passed Doctor Esposito seated alone at a table glaring at her. The archaeologist smiled and waved only to have Juanita glance at the receding back of the big Satedan and scowl even deeper at Victoria.

* * *

Victoria quickly devoured her banana and a bottle of water on her way to the armory to get a tac vest and weapon. It was 7:20 and she thought she was supposed to report there at 7:45, but being late was not an option today.

When the young woman stepped into a room filled with hangers of clothing, tac vests, weapons and other supplies, she was greeted by a sight she knew Juanita and Elisa would salivate over. Three Marines, two in skin tight black t-shirts and one just about to pull his on, greeted her. Feeling like she stumbled into the boy's locker room, she turned quickly only to walk into the door that had closed behind her.

"Good morning, Doctor Parker," Sergeant Raven's voice called from across the room. "You're a little early."

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: Sorry for this filler chapter, but I'm heading out on vacation until mid-next week and wanted to get something out. This story still has my muse!**


	6. Victoria's Brothers

**MGM owns a few characters, but most are mine.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback and vacation wishes. Went to an amusement/water park with my little kids. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for the beta.**

**To Kali, ask and you shall receive. Just keep up the reviews ;-)  
**

* * *

Victoria turned around with a flaming face and tried to smile. _They set me up. Jerks!_

"Carter, will you clothe yourself," Raven said as he stood and pulled on his vest.

"Clothe? Don't tell me you've got a novel in your backpack with some big-chested woman dressed in a Victorian gown on the cover," Carter snapped as he tugged his tight-fitting t-shirt over his head. "Hey, wait a minute. If you do I wanna see it."

"I've actually been reading the _Memoirs of Winston Churchill_ lately," Raven replied as he pulled his bag closer to him.

"What does Sir Winston have to tell us today?" Carter asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Just ignore them, Doctor Parker," Sergeant Warrington mentioned. "You're not too early. I'll help you get your Tac vest and weapon."

"You don't need to do that," Victoria replied.

"I'll be watching out for you today," Warrington said. "I need to make sure you're prepared."

"Whoa!" Carter shouted. "You must be _special_, Doctor Parker. Warry only guards the real V-VIPs."

Victoria groaned. "Why is she doing this?"

"Who?" Raven asked as he walked over to grab a Tac vest from the rack to her left.

"What?" Victoria closed her eyes as she realized she spoke aloud again. "Oh… a friend of mine. She's trying to look out for me, I guess. But I'm fine. I don't need any special treatment," she stated, looking at the three Marines all pulling on various components of their BDUs.

"Doctor Simpson?" Carter replied with a big smile. The tall Marine pulled on his Tac vest and began putting on a double-holster.

"How did you…"

"Everyone knows about her visits to the barracks level," Carter added winking slyly.

Victoria felt awful that the soldiers viewed her friend this way. _But she is obviously sneaking around._ "Well, I don't like to gossip and I'd appreciate it if you didn't about my friend."

"We just think it's pretty funny," Carter added. "Since they've been having these late-night trysts the big guy's been wearing turtle necks no matter how hot the places are we've been going to."

Laughter erupted from Raven and a chuckle came from Warrington, who was getting Victoria's Tac vest and weapon ready. Victoria shook her head as disappointment returned. The ego boost from Teyla and Ronon faded as thoughts of Master Gunny Richards and Pamela in his quarters formed in her head.

"That's enough, Carter. Raven," Warrington's deep voice chided when he saw her reaction. "Doctor Parker asked you to knock it off."

"Sorry," Raven replied. "It's just we never thought he'd end up dating anyone. He's so straight-laced."

"Straight-laced? You are seriously too literate for us dumb grunts." Carter tossed some extra ammunition at Raven, who was starting to take his weapons from the cages, but he still managed to snag the clip from midair.

Victoria smiled at Warrington in gratitude. The dark-skinned Marine held out her Tac vest for Victoria to put on. "It's fully loaded with everything you'll need."

"Are you seriously my body guard?" she questioned.

"Kind of like that," he chuckled again as she took the vest from him.

"I can put on my own vest. I hope all you guys are guarding people and this isn't special treatment," Victoria said, slipping the vest on. It was a little big, but she noticed straps that could be tightened.

"So do I get Zelenka?" Carter asked, kneeling to put a large knife into a special compartment in his combat boot.

"No. Warry's got escort duty but the rest of us are general security," Raven stated as he took a small gun from the cage and put it in a holster worn under his left arm.

"So I get man-on-man and all of you play zone?" Victoria offered as she tried to get her straps adjusted to the right length.

"Did you…" Carter stopped tying his boot and stood up with a look of stunned disbelief on his face.

Victoria stared at him. "Did I… What?"

Carter walked slowly toward her with wide brown eyes. "Did-did you just… make a _sports_ analogy?"

"I have three older brothers and parents who love sports. Of course I made a sports reference." These men made her feel somehow at ease so she shared more of herself with them than she normally would. "Not a weekend went by without some type of sporting event to go to or any number of games on television. We watch everything, but baseball and football are my favorites."

Carter dropped to the floor in front of her with an expression of pure rapture on his face. He tentatively reached out to take her hands in his and spoke in a breathless voice, "I've waited my whole life to find a beautiful woman who _likes_ sports."

Victoria's eyebrows were under her bangs and laughter started to bubble up inside her. _Figures that a hot guy is on his knees in front of you and you want to laugh at him._

"Doctor Parker, I know I'm just a dumb grunt who only finished high school," Carter began, "but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to deserve you. Will you marry me?"

A loud pop echoed through the room. "Ain't this sweet," a cold female voice sounded from behind Victoria. "Who's the princess?"

Victoria felt the hairs on her neck rise as she snatched her hands from Carter's and turned. Dark brown eyes glared at her. A female Marine in black off world BDUs stood before her with her hands on her hips.

"Hey, Dusty," Carter said. "Welcome back. I guess you're out of the dog house."

The woman named Dusty only chewed on gum and glared at Victoria.

"Are you jealous that you've been replaced by a woman who shares interests close to my heart?" Carter asked as he stood up, putting an arm around Victoria's shoulder.

"Wait a minute." Victoria stepped out from under his arm. "I am not being used to make her jealous." She turned to the woman who looked pissed and said, "I'm just getting ready to go off world. These guys," she motioned to everyone in the room, "remind me of my brothers. Raven is my oldest brother, Christopher, who loves to tease everyone about how smart he is. Warrington's the middle brother, Patrick, who always looks out for me. And Carter…"

"Is the handsome, charming one that all the ladies adore," Carter finished.

"No, he's the creepy one all the ladies avoid. Trust me when I say I have zero interest in any of them," Victoria finished with some heat in her voice as she glanced at Carter.

Dusty's face cracked and laughter came out. "Oh, that's good."

She put a fist out in front of the archaeologist and Victoria looked critically at her. _Is she going to punch me?_

"Put your fist out," Dusty instructed.

Victoria followed the directions and was rewarded with a fist bump and a grin. "Just making sure you're not one of those scientists who're always sniffing around the Marines."

"I know who you're talking about and I'm sorry to say they're sort of my friends," Victoria replied.

"You need some better friends," Dusty replied. "I'm Sergeant Dusty Mehra." Her hand shot out again and gripped Victoria's firmly.

"Doctor Victoria Parker," she replied, shocked that this tough woman seemed to be accepting her right away.

"Doctor of what?"

"Archaeology."

"Cool," Dusty replied, glancing over Victoria's shoulder to Carter who was still standing behind her. "So who's looking out for her?"

"I'm afraid my friend, Doctor Pamela Simpson, had her boyfriend assign me special protection because it's my first time off world and I'm pretty nervous about it."_ Why am I telling her that? I just met her._

"I love Pamela. We spared many times on my last tour of Atlantis," Dusty said as she grabbed a Tac vest off the rack. "Who's she hooking up with?"

Victoria turned away before the Marines told Dusty about Pamela and Richards.

"Guess," Carter said.

"I haven't been here in months," Dusty spat. "You know that."

"Hey, the big dog'll come around." Carter put a hand on Dusty's shoulder.

Victoria thought it was a sweet gesture. As the archaeologist started to smile Dusty stepped into Carter, thrusting her hip into his groin area, taking his hand in both of hers and flipping him to the floor. She spun around his arm and landed on him hard, straddling his chest.

"Hey," Carter growled in a rough voice. "Do you know how long I've _waited_ to be in this position?" His free hand rested on her thigh.

Victoria was shocked. _Is she going to beat him up or are they going to have sex in front of us?_

Dusty grinned evilly and twisted the arm that she still held in her hands a bit. "Better enjoy it because…"

"Officer on deck," a loud deep voice caused Victoria to jump and make eye contact with Master Gunnery Sergeant Richards for a second before she looked down at the Marines jumping to attention.

"Is there a problem?" Major Lorne asked as he stepped through the doorway.

Victoria suddenly stepped in front of Dusty and Carter. "They were just showing me how to defend myself, Major."

"Yes, sir," Carter replied. "In case she ran into someone bigger than her… who managed to… get through… all of us." By the time the Marine finished both Richards and Lorne had eyebrows raised and questioning looks on their faces.

"At ease," Lorne replied. "Doctor Parker, once you're ready could I have a word."

Victoria was surprised that the Major would want to talk to her privately but managed to hide her surprise and mumble, "Sure."

"I'll help you with that last adjustment, Doc," Carter said as he stepped up to put an arm around her back.

"Carter," Richards barked. "Why don't you get some extra ammunition from the main armory?"

In a low voice Carter said to Victoria, "That's twice in twenty-four hours I pissed him off. You're my ringer."

Before Victoria could ask why he wanted to piss off Richards in the first place since the Master Gunny was physically more imposing than the tall, lithe Carter, the blond Marine winked and hurried away, saluting the Major on the way out. The archaeologist turned to Warrington who was shaking his head.

"He may act like a goofball but there's no one else I'd want at my side in battle," Warrington added as he quickly secured her vest around her waist. "Except Master Gunny, of course."

"Of course," Victoria replied with her heart sinking. He looked even better than she remembered him looking the night before, the black jacket and vest accentuated his broad chest and arms. Trying very hard to erase the feel of his body brushing against hers on the weapons range, she turned to the Major and smiled a wary smile. _Time to get over your infatuation._

Lorne led her out into the hall and she caught Gunny's eye briefly on her way out, noticing that his expression softened as his grey eyes followed her out the door. Trying not to stare, she couldn't help but notice he had on a t-shirt and a jacket with a low collar. _I guess Pamela didn't feel the need to brand him today._ One more wave of disappointed washed over her as she pushed the image out of her mind.

"I hope the Marines were treating you well," Lorne asked as his eyes briefly assessed her.

"Oh, they're great. I felt like I was back home in my brothers' room," she said with a smile.

"You must have had some odd brothers," the Major added. "I only have a minute because Richards and I need to talk to Sergeant Mehra, but…" he paused and glanced up and down the corridor, "Pamela wanted me to tell you that I'll be there for you if you need anything."

"Pamela?" Victoria couldn't keep the shock out of her voice. Her eyes immediately dropped to see a black turtleneck under his jacket.

"I thought you knew…" His face had a guilty look on it and his blue eyes darted around, fearful of discovery.

"No," she confessed. "I hate to gossip and Pamela never said anything to me."

"Oh, well, then… I hope you won't say anything," Lorne asked, pleading like a little boy. "We're keeping it low key."

Victoria laughed. "Sorry, but your men all know about it."

"What do you mean?"

"They've all noticed your change of attire." Victoria couldn't contain her smirk or keep her eyes from dropping to his neck once again.

A hand flew up to his collar and a sheepish expression covered his face. "Oh, um, well… uh…"

"I need to get my weapon and then catch up with the rest of my department," she said as she moved toward the door to the armory. "Gotta be in tip top shape for Doctor McKay."

"Hey, if he bothers you at all, you come to me straight away. I'll have Keller put him in his place," Lorne threatened.

"I'm sure I'll be fine. As long as I don't screw up, he won't even know I'm there," Victoria said.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: All this time I've always wanted a woman for Lorne and no one is just right. I hope he can handle my Doctor Simpson.**


	7. Time to Face the Music

**MGM owns some of the characters, but most are mine.**

**A/N: I continue to marvel at how much you like a story about characters from my imagination. Thank you for the reviews, alerts and support. My beta is busy with more important things so all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Victoria couldn't keep the feeling of excitement out of her system. Even though she didn't see Master Gunny Richards after her discussion with Lorne, she was happy that she wasn't totally clueless about his actions. _He could have pawned me off on Carter or one of the others, but stayed with me. _Memories of his smile and the way it lit up his face came to mind as she felt her heart tighten in her chest. _I doubt many people get to see that smile._

Her euphoria didn't last long because as soon as she and Sergeant Warrington entered the Gateroom, an obnoxious shout reminded her of the other members of her team.

"Hey!" Doctor Upton called. "Over here, Doctor Parker."

He and his sidekick, Doctor Toledo, stood to the side of Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, Raven and Carter. Richards, Lorne and Dusty were still missing, as were Doctors McKay and Zelenka. Anxiety at having two of the smartest men known to man around along with the two jerks in front of her made her forget to feel like a teenager with a crush.

"Gentleman," she said as sweetly as she could muster.

"_Bodyguard_?" Upton sneered and Toledo chuckled.

"What do you want?" The smirks on their faces and glances at Warrington upset her. She felt no need to discuss her relationships with _anyone_ to these two.

"You need to carry this scanner and survey equipment." Upton's boot kicked a canvas pack on the floor. It was a big black duffel bag that obviously was too full.

The hyena laugh of Antonio Toledo echoed through the departure area because he was obviously overcome with happiness at her misfortune.

"Wasn't the site surveyed the first time?" Victoria knew the answer but had to ask the question to let them know she knew the protocol. Doctors Upton and Toledo went out with SGA1 for the first survey of the planet. _More sloppy work._

"We were busy with other more _important_ things," Ryan Upton replied. "Now get a move on before Doctor McKay gets here." The two men walked away.

"I'll frag the bastards for you," Dusty said causally, causing Victoria to jump.

She'd been staring intently at the bag trying to guess how much it weighed so she never heard the female Marine join Warrington behind her. _I guess that makes her a good Marine._

"No, because then you'll really get tossed out," Warrington cautioned. "We'll find another way," he muttered quietly to his fellow Marine.

Victoria turned to see that the jovial face of Robert Warrington was gone. It had been replaced by an icy look that shot daggers from his brown eyes. Dusty's finger hovered near the trigger on her gun as she scowled menacingly at the backs of Victoria's colleagues as well. "Didn't you guys have some type of initiation when you got to boot camp?"

The two Marines nodded. Dusty's eyes barely noticed Victoria as she watched the two male scientists attempting to flirt with Teyla.

"Well, this is the same sort of thing," Victoria replied, bending to grab the bag.

A much larger hand got there first and hefted it in the air. "Feels like about twenty, maybe twenty-five pounds," Warrington pronounced in his deep voice.

"Is there a problem?" Richards was the next to join the little gathering making Victoria close her eyes and nearly groan.

"No," she stated as she turned to look up into darkening grey eyes flicking between the soldiers, the bag and her.

"They expect Doctor Parker to carry this, Master Gunny." Warrington held the bag away from his body so Richards could get a good look at it.

"It's fine," Victoria said, fully facing the big Master Gunnery Sergeant. "I was explaining that this is a hazing of sorts…"

"Hazing?" Richards asked with eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Junior scientists have to write monthly reports, do menial jobs like surveying a site and schlepping stuff around," Victoria explained, getting exasperated. The Marines looked as hard as the wall behind them and obviously had no intention of giving the gear back to her.

"Is there a problem?" A new voice asked.

Turning to face another soldier, Victoria groaned. "Yes, Major. Everything would be find if your _gentlemanly_ soldiers… No offense Sergeant Mehra…"

"None taken and it's Dusty," she replied. "Sir, they expect Doctor Parker to carry a heavy pack of materials."

Lorne looked at Richards. "Let me guess, you want to lend a hand?"

"No!" Victoria felt the color rising in her face. "I will _not_ get preferential treatment just because of you and…" She stopped speaking as Lorne started to turn white. "I-I sorry, I…"

One nod from Richards told Warrington to finish hefting the pack over his shoulder.

"No," Victoria begged, knowing that the abuse she'd get from Toledo and Upton after witnessing this would be ten times worse. "You're trained soldiers, not pack animals."

"It's my _pleasure_ to help out, Doctor," Warrington stated. "Sir. Master Gunny." He addressed the other men and then motioned for Victoria to move toward the gate.

* * *

The archaeologist continued to fume silently until the first chevron locked on the gate. Even though this gate was not like the Earth one, there was still a sound and flash of light that signaled the commencement of dialing.

Panic began to well up once more as she looked around. Victoria was standing close to Master Gunny Richards who was speaking quietly with Sergeant Warrington. Doctor Zelenka had appeared and announced that Doctor McKay was running late so Teyla said she'd wait for their teammate. The rest of the personnel prepared to leave without Victoria's department head.

"So," Ronon Dex asked, pulling her from her frightened stare at the symbols igniting on the gate. "Shall I push or pull?"

"Huh?" Victoria blinked her eyes to clear her thoughts about what it was going to feel like to be broken down to the molecular level. "Sorry, Ronon. What did you say?"

The Satedan glanced at Richards who was now standing very close to Victoria. "Just wanted to know if you needed to be pushed or pulled through the gate." A slow smile spread over his lips and it appeared he was holding back laughter.

"We've got it covered," Richards replied.

Victoria's head whipped around to see the steady gaze of the Master Gunny directed at the ex-Runner. The corners of his mouth twitched, but the Satedan didn't give in.

Victoria had no idea what the inside joke was so she ignored it as she often did with her brothers. "I might need to be carried." She forced a smile and tried humor to alleviate her fear.

"You got the wrong man for that job," Ronon said, finally grinning. "You'll be fine. We haven't lost anyone in the Gate in ages."

"What?" Victoria turned to face Richards and Warrington.

"Doctor Parker," Richards said, turning his piercing grey eyes to her face from the retreating Satedan. "There is an Ancient city on the other side of the puddle waiting for you to explore it. Piece together what happened there. All you have to do is take a couple of steps and you'll be there."

Victoria's eyes widened as the Sergeant hit on the very reason she became an archaeologist. _Can he read my mind?_

"Did you ever think of being a motivational speaker? Because that was beautiful." Carter's voice startled the archeologist. "Your words are much better at inspiring than guns, knives, fists, boots…"

"This boot is going to be up your ass if you don't get on point," Richards snapped at Carter.

As the tall, lanky Marine passed Victoria he winked and flashed three fingers at her.

"Hat trick?" she asked, realizing the Marine was taunting his superior once again and got a reaction.

"Uhhh…" Carter moaned looking like he was in pain.

"Hockey?" Richards asked once Carter walked over to stand near Ronon.

"Carter was impressed I'm a sports fan," she confided with a brief look at his face.

"Which sports?" he asked. His eyes were focused on the gate and not looking at her.

"Baseball and football are my favorites," she replied. The easy conversation that she suddenly found herself having with one of the most feared men on Atlantis made her forget about her pending jaunt through a wormhole.

"Mets or Yankees?" he questioned, his eyes looking at her once again.

"Red Sox," she replied unable to hide her smile.

"A rebel." Richards turned his gaze to the gate where the Kawhoosh signaled that the dialing was completed. "Now I'm impressed."

Before Victoria could even acknowledge his outright flirting with her, Pamela's boyfriend came over.

"You have nothing to be concerned about, Doc," Major Lorne stated. He hung his head for a minute, however, before he continued. "The first time through a gate, you can… you can be a little disoriented…" His blue gaze looked up from the floor to catch her eyes.

"Disoriented?" Victoria could tell Lorne was hiding something and it was starting to cause her to panic.

"Just a little dizzy," the Major explained, putting his hands out to calm her. "It wears off quickly. But I don't want you to… fall or anything, so I'll stay close to you. Okay?"

Victoria marveled at how many virtual strangers wanted to watch out for her. _Where were these guys when I was the nerdy little sister of the high school jocks? _"Okay," she answered weakly.

The large blue pool loomed like a specter before her. It reached at least two stories tall and was wide enough for several of them to pass through. Carter, followed by Ronon, the other archaeologists, along with Doctor Zelenka and Sheppard went through quickly. Sergeants Raven and Mehra were bringing up the rear and stood some distance behind Victoria and the others.

"I'll go a bit in front of you, just in case," Lorne said as he walked toward the gate.

"I'll be sure to tell Pamela how sweet you're being," she said without thinking about the other Marines standing nearby.

Lorne blushed. "Might score me some brownie points, which are always nice to have."

Victoria chuckled as she silently battled a panic attack. Trying to concentrate on the Major's black uniform and his smiling face and ignore the blue expanse before her was nearly impossible. Now that she was even closer, it seemed to dominate her entire consciousness.

"You won't feel anything." Richards spoke from close to her right side in a low, calm voice like the one he had last night while patiently explaining how to use her handgun. "You'll take two steps and suddenly be on another planet. It's that simple."

"For you maybe." She couldn't keep the trembling out of her voice. "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt and I'll tell you about the Major's first time through a gate once we get to the other side," he said even quieter so she had to strain to listen to him.

Victoria tried to smile, but wanted to run. She unconsciously took a step back and bumped into a wall. "Sorry."

The _wall_ chuckled and said softly, "On three. Okay?"

Looking one last time into bright grey eyes, Victoria swallowed and decided to put all her trust in this intriguing man. _He hasn't steered me wrong since I met him._ Finding courage from his actions on the firing range and the possibility of spending more time with him, she took her final steps into the unknown.

TBC

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A/N: Just a filler chapter, but they all have to be done. Please don't stop the great reviews, especially **_**Kali**_**, who requests this story in other reviews. Get an account and then you can PM us authors to your heart's content.**


	8. The Arrival

**A/N: Sorry to take so long with this chapter. All the Flash Fiction challenges sucked up my time. Thanks for your patience. Thanks Betherdy Babe and Dwparsnip for the beta help.  
**

* * *

Victoria hated amusement park rides that made you dizzy. When she was nine, her brother Kyle convinced her to go into a spaceship ride at a local fair. He promised there would be lights and neat stuff to see.

There were lights - lots of lights - in a round room that began to spin after the doors closed causing her to lift up off the floor and press against the wall. After a couple seconds she was ready to vomit. After a few more she did, causing them to stop the ride. Once again Patrick came to her rescue, leading her to the ladies room to clean up and punching Kyle in the gut.

That memory came to mind when Victoria stepped out of the gate. She swore the sky was under her feet and she needed to right herself. Her arms pin-wheeled, she let out a yelp and realized that the sky was getting farther away. _I'm falling for real._

But she didn't fall too far because a firm object stopped her. A band of steel encircled her waist and she clutched fabric and leather with her flailing hands. Closing her eyes to keep from getting dizzier, she let out a whimper. The arm around her lifted her feet off the ground for a few second before lowering her to her knees without letting go.

"Nice catch, Master Gunny." Warrington's voice came from above Victoria and to her left.

_Oh Lord, I fell into Richards._ A blazing heat swept up her neck to cover her face. Wanting to do nothing more than cling to the big Marine and bury her face into his tac vest, she knew she needed to get up.

"Are you okay?" Lorne's voice was close by and full of concern.

"It'll pass," came the voice she had come to equate with understanding, patience and a growing attraction she couldn't hide.

"I'm f-fine," she muttered.

"It usually only happens the first time," Richards' deep voice explained. "You'll have no problem going back."

Leaning back finally from his chest and opening her eyes, she saw concern in his granite gaze. Seeing a slight curve to his lips made her embarrassment grow exponentially. _Let me just crawl back into bed and never get out._

Sheppard walked over with a grin and twinkling hazel eyes as he stopped about a foot from her and Richards, who was still kneeling next to her. "Good thing you came through with Master Gunny or they'd be telling stories about you instead of the Major."

"Excuse me, _sir_?" Lorne replied as he looked at his CO with annoyance. "You weren't even in the SGC back then."

"No, but a good story never dies." John laughed.

Victoria tried to push herself off from Richards, but the Sergeant would have none of it.

"Give yourself a few minutes, Doctor Parker," he said as he adjusted his hands to hold her upper arms. "Don't need you falling again."

Victoria tried to look anywhere but at the men and lone woman surrounding her. The snickers from her colleagues spoke volumes about how ridiculous she must have looked. The only thing to keep her tears from falling were the ominous looks the Marines shot at Doctors Upton and Toledo.

"If you feel unwell and wish to return to Atlantis…" Doctor Zelenka made his way over and the fact that he was going to suggest she leave gave her the strength she needed.

"N-no. I'll be fine," she explained, looking desperately into his kind face.

"Doctor Jackson apparently had a bad experience as well. It seems worse in intra-galactic wormholes. Coming from Earth to Pegasus no one was sick," Radek explained.

"I'm sorry to slow us down," she apologized, trying to stand only to be held down by Richards. Pleading with her eyes for him to let her save a bit of face only seemed to make his hands tighten on her shoulders. After a few more seconds of giving her a stare with eyes as hard as granite, he relinquished his grip and stood up.

"We're not on the clock, Doctor," Sheppard replied.

"I…" Victoria started to say only to be interrupted as the gate suddenly dialed. Richards put a hand on her shoulder to remain on the ground close to the platform the gate rested on.

"Assume positions," Sheppard said, raising his gun.

Doctor McKay and Teyla were due, but caution obviously prevailed with this crew as Warrington raced over to stand close to her.

Staring at the legs of the men flanking her made her feel small. _I need to do something._ Taking out her handgun and attempting to get up and move away from the dais to see who or what was coming from the gate resulted in Richards planting a leg directly in front of her. _I guess it's his way of telling me to stay put._

Swallowing and daring a glance up, she was surprised to see his eyes were trained on the incoming wormhole. _How did he even see what I was doing just now?_

After a couple of seconds she saw John touch his earwig and say, "It's McKay and Teyla. Let's get ready to move."

Richards stepped back and a hand appeared in front of her to pull her to her feet.

"Thanks," she said, feeling heat flow up her arm and into her chest where his big hand engulfed her smaller one.

Richards gave her a short nod and she swore his hand held hers for a second longer than was customary to pull someone to their feet.

"Well, isn't this sweet," Doctor Rodney McKay snarked as he walked down the stairs. "I'm flattered you guys waited for me, but I had hoped you'd at least be able to start walking to the ruins without me."

Some mutters and groans came from Zelenka, the other scientists and Ronon.

Colonel Sheppard looked at her, Richards, Warrington and Lorne and said, "You'd think waking up next to a beautiful woman each day would put him in a better mood."

TBC

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A/N: Sorry for short chapter but finding time to write has been tough lately. Thought I'd get a short chapter out versus none for a few more days or weeks.**


	9. Dusty Catches a Break

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taking so long between updates on all my stories but life does get in the way. Thanks as always for the great reviews. Thanks Betherdy for the brief beta.**

* * *

"Why would the Ancients put a city so far away from the gate and in the middle of a forest?" Dusty asked Victoria as they walked for what felt like an hour but was closer to fifteen minutes.

"It is rather odd," Victoria explained as she gripped her backpack straps tightly. She'd felt like an idiot since the incident at the gate and tried to be invisible. Of course having two Marines practically flanking her was making that difficult. "The only other planet we've found with ruins so far from the gate is M7G-677."

"Nobody likes to go there," Dusty growled.

"Which means we didn't survey it properly so we don't know why that city was so far away from the gate," Victoria chuckled. The gears in her puzzle-solving brain started moving. "Maybe there's a correlation…"

"No way _I'm_ going there," Dusty held up a hand and raised her voice slightly.

"These trees grew centuries after the Ancients had left," Victoria continued, ignoring Dusty's outburst as her mind continued to race. "This was most likely an open plain just like M7G-677 except that there was a population on that planet to keep the trees cut." Glancing off in the distance, she saw the peaks of a large mountain range rising above them. She turned and looked back toward the gate in the middle of the forest. "Definitely." Her eyes widened as she pulled her laptop out of her backpack.

"Definitely _what_?"

"You mentioned jumpers and I realized they must have used jumpers back then." Victoria pulled out a map of the city, but it was only partially filled in. _Upton and Toledo are jerks. _She shook her head as she scanned the horizon. "I'm going to need to get up on a ridge and look down at the city when we get there."

"Oh shit," Dusty whispered as her eyes widened.

"What?" Victoria looked at her companion and noticed her brown eyes looking at something approaching from behind the archaeologist. "Dusty?"

"Sergeant Mehra," Richards' sharp voice caused Victoria to jump and quickly turn as he suddenly loomed over her on the left.

Victoria wanted to avoid Richards after the incident at the gate. The young woman was unsettled because never in her wildest fantasies had she imagined that a man like Richards would show any more than cursory interest in a woman like her. The fact that he was concerned enough to put his body between her and possible danger left her on edge as to what might happen next.

"Master Gunny," a sheepish voice came from the heavily armed female Marine on her right.

"Is there a problem?" Victoria asked, finally looking into cool grey eyes. "Dusty's been keeping me company."

Richards' gaze settled on Victoria, quickly assessing her like she had an answer he was looking for. "Carry on," he said with a nod to her and a pointed look at Dusty.

"O-of course, Master Gunny," Dusty stammered and gripped her P90 tighter. "Wow. He's got it bad," she said quietly once Richards appeared to be out of earshot.

"Got what?" Victoria asked. She glanced once at the back of Richards as he fell into step behind Sheppard, McKay and Zelenka: the latter were arguing over a device Rodney was waving around.

The other archaeologists were behind Victoria, trying to stay as far away from their boss as they could, Ronon and Teyla were in front and Warrington, Carter, Raven and Lorne were behind her. _What a strange little band_, she thought. Realizing that Dusty never answered, she asked again, "Got what?"

Dusty chuckled. "You cannot be that clueless."

"Dusty, I really don't know what you're talking about." Victoria was getting annoyed. _I don't have time to figure her out._

"Forget it," Dusty paused, speaking with her more jovial tone of voice. "We'll leave it as I owe you."

"Because I covered for you and Carter earlier?"

"Not only that. You just told Master Gunny that _we_ were talking, which meant I was given a free pass for slacking." A smile now graced the Marine's face.

"Why would talking to me give you…"

"Because he's obviously got a _thing_ for you," Dusty interrupted, unable to keep her smile from turning into a grin the Cheshire Cat would envy.

Victoria's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Her feet stopped moving and she stood staring at Sergeant Mehra's beaming face.

"Is something wrong, Doctor Parker?" Lorne asked as he appeared next to her.

"N-n-no," Victoria stammered. _How do they move so fast and so silently out here?_ _Every step I make crunches something under foot._ Looking into the clear blue gaze of Major Lorne, she realized this might get Dusty in trouble with him.

"Oh thank goodness, we're stopping." McKay's voice broke the silence. "My feet are killing me. I forgot this was so damn far from the gate."

Sheppard looked toward her and Lorne shaking his head. "Ten minutes and then we double time it."

Groans and more complaints came from McKay, soon to be echoed by Victoria's coworkers. "Parker, why did you have to stop? You got someone to carry your gear so you shouldn't be tired," Toledo muttered as he sat down a few feet behind her.

"I'm sure McKay will love the fact that some dumb grunt is carrying the expensive lab equipment," he said with a smirk, pulling a bottle from his pack. Upton directed his words to his friend, but made sure they were loud enough to be heard by Victoria, Warrington and Dusty.

As if her arm had a mind of its own, it shot out and she grabbed Dusty's forearm. "Not worth it," she whispered as she tugged her away from the men.

"You're not going to let them treat you like that, are you?" Ronon asked as he and Teyla stopped next to her.

"I'm a junior person in the department. It comes with the job description."

"It should not," Teyla added. "I will speak to Doctors McKay and Zelenka about this."

"No!" Victoria snapped. "It will only make it worse."

"How do you figure that? McKay's got a way of getting everyone to bow to his will in his department," Ronon stated.

"Doctor McKay screaming at people is the problem," Victoria said. "He's our leader. If he doesn't have any regard for people's feelings, why should the rest of his department?"

"I never realized it was the same for you guys," Carter added as he joined Dusty and Warrington staring at Upton and Toledo. Raven strolled around behind the men still on alert.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked the big blond Marine.

"A unit takes on the persona of its leader. The Colonel is rather laid back so it shows," Carter explained, glancing at Dusty who only glared at him.

"Then, _yes_, we are just like you guys," she laughed.

"I'll talk to McKay," Ronon said as he headed off.

"No," Victoria cried once again.

"Do not worry. Ronon will be subtle," Teyla said as she smiled and followed her teammate.

Carter's laughter echoed through the clearing. "As subtle as a Wraith Queen, maybe."

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A/N: Sorry for another 'filler' chapter, but they need to be done from time-to-time. I hate to do **** big jumps from action to action****. Thanks for sticking with me.**


	10. Beginning to Explore

**A/N: Thanks as always for the reviewers, especially from those of you who don't login, so I can't reply in person. I'm doing more with some of the other OC's in this chapter. There is a very silly exchange in here that my betas, **_**Betherdy Babe**_**, and **_**dwparnsip**_** begged me to leave in. As it is almost Christmas I am indulging my friends. **

**Thanks _KoineKid_ for your blessing and for getting me to get this out before Christmas.**

* * *

Luckily for Victoria Master Gunny sidetracked Ronon. Whatever they discussed left the Satedan laughing and Master Gunny looking serious after they parted ways.

The rest of the journey to the city was uneventful except for the fact that Ronon seemed to be glancing her way from time to time and she swore he smiled at her. This seemed to annoy Dusty to no end, but the Marine didn't want to discuss it. Instead the new friends talked about how they came to be in their professions and about their families. Dusty was the oldest of three with two younger brothers still at home, one in college and the other a senior in high school.

When everyone finally stopped Victoria finally noticed they were on a grand boulevard leading into the ruins of the city. Broken and fallen stone structures lined the roadway and led it to a large ziggurat in the center of the city.

The massive structure stood at least ten stories high and had no stairs, making it unlike its counterparts in the Milky Way or other similar structures found in Pegasus. It stretched a distance of six to seven city blocks on all sides. Doctors Upton and Toledo estimated the distances during their first visit, so Victoria would have to confirm them this time. She never published a report with _estimates_.

* * *

Victoria had passed her request to get a different perspective of the city from the hill to Warrington and let him run it up his chain of command. The archaeologist didn't want to cause problems for Dusty or anyone else so she waited.

Master Gunny stopped next to Victoria as she sorted through the scanning equipment she needed for her surveys. Feeling a flame of heat rise up her neck as Master Gunny stood quietly next to her, she asked, "Can I go?"

"Yes, Colonel Sheppard agreed," Richards replied. "Warrington and…"

"I'll go with you," Ronon's voice cut off Master Gunny and caused Victoria to whip her head up at the two men towering over her. "Wanna come too, Master Gunny? Maybe we can see if there's anything worth hunting on this planet."

"Oh, it's n-not necessary… Ronon," Victoria stammered. "I'm sure I don't need three escorts. I promise I'm not that much trouble."

Things were spiraling from unusual into down right scary for her in a matter of hour the last day. Since Doctor Sidirov found her yesterday events unraveled so quickly that she was certain she'd somehow shot herself on the firing range and was in a coma. _Why could Ronon Dex possibly want to hike through the woods with me?  
_

Because Victoria was anxious about being escorted by the two most feared men on the base, she didn't notice the look that passed between the seasoned warriors. But Sergeant Carter did.

* * *

Will Carter was known around the base as a clown. It was a title that had followed him all his life. During his youth on the tough streets of Chicago, he'd learned to fight and how to avoid a fight. Memories flooded his mind of the times he kept his brother from being shot by employing his sense of humor. _Not sure even I could keep these two from butting heads though._

"I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that," Dusty agreed.

Will glanced at the female Marine in surprise. "Did I say that out loud? You're clouding my mind, woman." A quick grin covered his face as Dusty scowled.

Sergeant Dusty Mehra with her chocolate eyes, olive skin, insanely kissable lips and thick, brown hair, which begged him to bury his hands in it, haunted him like no woman ever had. The fact that she could best him – and had on several occasions - only added to her appeal.

Strong women were a staple in Will's life. His father was a cop who was killed in the line of duty so his mother and grandmother raised him and his trouble-making older brother. He'd encountered a lot of strong women during his time in the SGC, from Colonel Samantha Carter (no relation) to Doctor Jennifer Keller. Yet he'd only developed feelings for one of them: the gorgeous Marine standing next to him, who had turned her scowl on the Satedan.

"What does he think he's doing?" she growled.

"He's just messing with Gunny," Carter stated. "He's not the type to go after…"

"He went after Keller when we all knew McKay had the hots for her," Dusty interrupted. "I wouldn't put it past him since he _is_ the _most desirable man on Atlantis_." She did air quotes around the phrase and allowed her gun to drop and hang from its clip on her vest.

"No way. That's my title." Will flexed his forearm muscles as he clutched his gun.

"You wish." She gazed at Victoria repacking her backpack with Warrington offering assistance. "I wish I was going. She's really sweet and I'm not sure she can handle Ronon teasing her and Gunny getting angry about it."

"She's tougher than you give her credit for. She handled herself really well on the range last night when we showed up," Carter explained.

"Shouldn't you two be patrolling?" Lorne's voice came from behind them.

Dusty closed her eyes and Will quickly spun around to face his CO. "Sorry, sir. I was just commenting on how Doctor Parker seems to be fitting in well out here."

Lorne's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. "Is that so?"

"Yes, sir." Carter felt Dusty turn and look at the man who sent her back to Earth all those months ago after a mission gone horribly wrong.

"As long as spending time with the _most desirable man on Atlantis_ appeals to her," the Major said, copying the air quotes as Sheppard stepped up to their little gathering with a perplexed look on his face.

"Sir, if I may be honest?" Will offered, glancing briefly at Dusty.

"Since when are you not, Carter?"

"If I were a woman, sir, you'd get my vote for that title."

This time Colonel Sheppard's laughter echoed through the assembly.

* * *

"Where are you from?" Ronon asked as he held a large tree branch out of Victoria's way.

Victoria was shocked that _The_ Ronon Dex was talking to her. Juanita had said the man barely spoke, but he seemed to be quite sociable to her. "I'm from America like Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne."

"California?"

"No. I'm from the opposite side of the country in New York."

"There was a Marine from New York who spoke funny and had a bad attitude here a couple years ago," Ronon continued as he glanced around. Warrington was behind them and Gunny was on point, leaving Victoria with the big Satedan.

"I'm sure he was from New York City," Victoria chuckled. "I'm from the countryside. It's a lot like here actually." The trees and gently rising hills leading up to the mountains in the distance reminded her of her beloved Adirondacks.

"We're here," Richards' clipped voice pulled her from her memories.

She had to gasp at the view of the ruined city, sweeping forested plain stretching back to the gate on her right and the mountains in the distance on her left. It looked like the photos she'd seen of M7G-677, except for the missing lake.

Tracing a path from the gate to the city with her eyes, Victoria's mouth dropped open as her eyes ended up on the ziggurat in the middle city. It was a direct path with nothing in the way except the trees. "Jumpers!"

"Where?" Ronon and the Marines instantly were on alert, holding weapons at the ready.

"I'd bet anything that jumpers went into that building," she said, pulling off her backpack to get to her laptop and camera out. "There could still be some in there."

Ronon gazed at the city. "If there are jumpers in there…"

"It would mean more drones," Richard's voice showed enthusiasm.

"The building has a flat roof that could retract. It looks like a helipad back on Earth," Victoria stated, pulling out a camera and starting to take photos. Her enthusiasm was at an all-time high. This is what she loved about archaeology, solving puzzles and unlocking secrets.

"So we climbed up the hill so you can take us back down to explore an impenetrable building?" Ronon asked.

"Sometimes you only need to see something from another angle. As for being impenetrable, has anyone tried to get in from the room?" the archaeologist asked with a smile. The thoughts of returning to Atlantis with jumpers and drones made her feel giddy. "And I'll take some survey photos so it won't have been a total waste of your time coming up here, Ronon."

"It's not a waste of time chatting with you, Doctor Parker," Ronon said with a sly grin.

Victoria felt her face turn red as the Satedan winked at Warrington before he walked over to stop next to Gunny, who was calling Major Lorne.

The Bermudan shook his head as he stood next to Victoria. A deep chuckle sounded from his broad chest. "I'm putting my money on Gunny to finally stop holding back the next time those two spar."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for delays with the story but the holidays are a busy time at my house.**


	11. Exploring

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in this story. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for the beta.**

* * *

Victoria took several photos and scanned the city using a 3-D imager before they began to descend the hill. Gunny explained that there was some type of interference with the radios. McKay, Zelenka, Sheppard and Teyla went to investigate a possible source. The rest of the Marines with Major Lorne and the other archaeologists were surveying the pyramid to determine the best place to climb it.

"Do we have climbing gear?" Victoria asked when they neared the others.

"We always bring some if there are tall structures on the site," Gunny replied.

"I have climbed before," Victoria stated.

"Are you volunteering?"

"Yes. I'd like to. It's my theory that the pyramid houses jumpers and opens on the roof, so I should have a chance to prove it," she said with more bravado than she normally displayed. There was something about the attention this man paid to her that gave her confidence.

"I'll see what Carter thinks. He's the climbing expert," Richards said as he glanced over to the blond Marine pulling ropes and harnesses out of a pack. His grey eyes returned to survey Victoria in a fashion she was unaccustomed to.

"Carter?" she muttered, trying not to turn bright red under the intense gaze.

"Climbed K2 without oxygen."

Victoria's eyes widened as she remembered all the movies she'd ever seen about climbing in the Himalayas and changed her view of the goofball Marine.

"Sometimes he lives up to his own hype," Richards offered, his voice so low only she could hear.

* * *

"Enjoy your walk with the boys?" Dusty asked with a smirk. Victoria's new friend stopped by her side as they watched Carter, Ronon and Warrington prepare grapples and ropes to climb up the structure. Lorne took Sergeant Raven and headed off to update Sheppard on the situation, leaving Richards and Dusty to keep an eye on everyone.

"Can I ask you something? I don't really listen to gossip but some things are hard not to miss," Victoria said softly.

"I've been gone from Atlantis for a while, but I'll try to help." Dusty scanned the area before turning her attention to Victoria.

"I've heard that Ronon's a stoic warrior who never says anything to anyone but his team. Today he's engaged in more small talk with me than anyone else has since I got here," she confessed, glancing at the Satedan while he shot a grappling hook over the wall.

"He can be _talkative_… with certain people." Dusty frowned as Victoria kept talking and staring.

"I can't imagine that _I'm_ the type of girl he normally talks to," she said. "Not that I've given it much thought. My friends are always drooling over him, and Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne and… basically any man not attached to somebody."

A barely audible sound – like one of annoyance - came from the Marine's chest before she spoke. "You are _exactly_ the type of girl Ronon likes. Too bad for him you're off-limits."

"_Off-limits_? What does that mean? Not that I'm interested in pursuing anything with him," she stated rather loudly.

"You and the Satedan?" Toledo's laughter caused Victoria and Dusty to turn.

"Eavesdropping is an ugly habit, Doctor," Dusty said, shooting daggers at the archaeologist.

"So is _not_ paying attention," Doctor Upton said snidely as he walked past them with Toledo in tow. "Come on, Parker. Let's go for a little climb."

Victoria looked at her nasty associate. She wanted to say something to him, but he was obviously going to let her go up top with him, and he could ruin her career on Atlantis if he wanted to, so she held back her comments. Once again she glanced at a furious Dusty, offered a weak smile and followed Ryan Upton to the pyramid.

"I've climbed for many years," he announced as he approached the men.

"Really?" Carter responded. "What?" A glare from Master Gunny made Carter rephrase his question, "What have you climbed, Doctor?"

"I've been climbing in the Rockies and even attempted Mount Denali in Alaska," he said, jutting his chin out.

Carter smiled, "Oh, well, I guess you are the expert."

"Of course I am. Since you're already in your harness, I guess you can provide some security. Doctor Parker and I will accompany you," Upton said as he grabbed two harnesses and tossed one at Victoria.

Since she wasn't expecting it, the harness hit her and fell on the ground. Doctor Toledo couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you sure you want to take her? She might fall off."

"That's enough," Dusty's voice thundered through the area. "I don't give a damn what…"

"Sergeant Mehra!" Richards' voice stopped her as she stormed toward the archaeologist who stepped behind Victoria. "Why don't you assist Doctor Parker with her harness?"

Dusty's nostrils flared and the murderous gaze she sent at Toledo caused the man to swallow and quickly make his way toward his pal. Upton, who was obviously trying to think of something snide to say that wouldn't get him decked by the female Marine, ended up turning away and keeping his mouth shut.

"I'm not scared of heights, so his comments don't mean anything," Victoria told her friend. "You need to stop threatening them or you're going to get in trouble."

Glancing around as if she were going to reveal a state secret, the Marine confessed, "I screwed up on my last mission in Pegasus because I got bored."

Victoria's eyes widened as Dusty glanced at her fellow Marines. The archaeologist wasn't sure where this conversation was going. Dusty was letting her in on something she'd never shared with anyone, so Victoria kept quiet as she adjusted the harness and slipped into it.

"I'm an action junky. I've gotta be in the thick of a fight to feel alive," Dusty continued in a low voice after a minute. Her brown eyes looking anywhere but into Victoria's blue ones.

Victoria wasn't sure why Dusty mentioned this, but she expected it had to do with Richards' angry shout. "What happened?"

"I woke a sleeping dragon, so to speak, and then left two civilians on their own, almost getting them killed," she said in a monotone with her eyes closed for a second. "My teammate was so distraught she returned to Earth and still hasn't come back."

"That's why you were gone?" Victoria's voice softened and her eyes never left their assessment of Dusty. It appeared that her companion had learned her lesson if her face and profile were any indication.

"Yeah, got sent back for a while. Lorne and Richards didn't want me, but Sheppard thought I deserved another shot." Dusty tugged on Victoria's harness to tighten it around her hips and legs.

Victoria tried to reconcile the seemingly unfair behavior of Lorne and Richards with the care and concern they showed her. "I don't know anything about military discipline, but I'm sure you'll get back into their good graces." She offered her friend a sincere smile. "If I can help in any way, you can count on me."

Dusty flashed a huge grin back at the archaeologist. "With your brains and my brawn we'd be an unstoppable pair."

The women suddenly laughed like two high-schoolers, earning them stares from the men.

* * *

"Warry, Dusty and Ronon will be the belayers for us," Carter started his explanation.

"What?" Ronon asked.

"You'll hold the rope while Doctors Upton, Parker and myself climb. You can hold mine. Not sure anyone else is strong enough, except Gunny, but the last time he held a rope I was at the other end of my head came within inches of the ground before I stopped."

"A foot," Richards corrected from his position several yards away surveying the area.

"You'll feed the rope through the belay device and hold on. Nothing to it. If I fall you'll need to hold tight and possibly lower me to the ground if I can't recover," Carter explained primarily to Ronon.

The Satedan glanced at the device and Carter. "I'll just hold the rope. I won't drop you." Their eyes locked for a few second with brows rising.

"Warry, why don't you take my rope?"

* * *

After ten minutes of climbing, Carter helped Victoria over the lip at the top of the pyramid as Upton started surveying a large vine-covered rock.

The entire surface was covered with sand and small plants grew in various places. Vines had overrun the edge of the structure, which stretched for several hundred feet on either side of Victoria. She pulled out her camera and began to snap photographs before Carter and Upton walked all over the area.

"Carter? Everyone okay up there?" Master Gunny's voice came over their earwigs.

"Hey, looks like McKay came through again. I can hear you loud and clear," Carter said. "We're fine."

"Where are you?" McKay's voice came over the radio and Victoria couldn't help but jump. Her department head didn't sound happy at all.

"Doctors Upton and Parker along with Sergeant Carter have reached the top of the central pyramid, sir," Richards replied.

Victoria had a bad feeling that they were all going to get one of Doctor McKay's famous rants. _Better make the best of this short time up here._ She looked once more at Upton as he was cutting back vines and muttering quietly to himself. Carter had gone to look at what he was doing only to be told, _Take a hike, grunt._ His tone and body language told her to not even bother telling him he should be more careful.

She turned back to look toward the gate and could see it very far in the distance. It was a straight line from where she stood. _The jumpers would fly straight here and lower inside. But why? What's in here?_

"Hey, Doc, this is starting to hum," Carter said. "You better stop what you're doing."

"Don't even think you can comprehend what I'm doing," Upton snarled.

"What's humming?" McKay's voice came over the radio again.

Victoria turned as saw a blue glow coming from under vines in the back of what was obviously an Ancient device. "Doctor Upton, stop! You have the Ancient gene…" Her words stopped as rumbling and shaking coursed through the pyramid.

"Carter, report," Master Gunny called.

Because she wasn't thinking about anything except that Upton just activated something, she backed away from him and the edge of the pyramid.

"Look out!" Carter screamed when he turned toward her.

"Whaaaaaaaa..." Victoria's question was lost as the surface beneath her feet disappeared.

"What's going on!" several voices shouted.

"Victoria!" Carter screamed as the archaeologist plunged into the darkness that opened up beneath her.

TBC

**

* * *

A/N: Haven't left an evil cliffhanger in a long time. Enjoy.**


	12. Rescue

**A/N: Thanks for the continued support of this story and much thanks to **_**KoineKid**_** for brief beta. Warning: A bit more swearing in this chapter than I usually put in a story but there is no way some of this occurs without some **_**colorful**_** language from the Marines.**

* * *

Ripping the radio from her ear when Victoria screamed caused Dusty to removed a hand from the rope. Victoria's freefall caught her off guard and the rope flew through her other hand. "Shit!"

In an instant two arms flew out of nowhere and grabbed the rope, halting Victoria's plunge on the other side. Dusty was almost physically pushed aside by Master Gunny Richards. Recognizing the intensity in his gaze as anger, she backed up, unhooking her belay device and put her radio back in. "Victoria?" she called to her friend who was suddenly silent. "Victoria!"

* * *

So many voices were shouting it was incomprehensible and Carter needed to concentrate. Sheppard was shouting questions while running, McKay was shouting about Ancient devices and stupid people and Upton was blathering about the door needing to be retracted.

"Get the hell off the roof before I throw your ass over the side," Carter shouted to Upton.

"Will, where's Victoria?" Dusty tried to yell over the chatter.

"Clear the channel!" Richard's harsh voice quieted everyone, including his CO and McKay. "Carter, what do you see? I can't pull her rope up."

"Victoria?" Will shouted into the darkness below him. He pulled a flashlight out of his tac vest and lay down on a two-foot wide ledge, which was left after the roof opened forming a large diamond shape. "I can see the rope. It's twisted around some pieces of metal jutting out of the wall about twenty feet below me."

Carter panned his flashlight around and saw lots of similar metal struts on either side of his position. He strained to see in the pitch black beyond the beam light. His gut twisted as he imagined what Richards would do if Victoria were harmed or worse. In all the years he'd known the big guy, Richards has never been so smitten with a woman. "Victoria!"

A sound from below caught the Marine's ear. "Hey, you still with us?"

"Slipping," was the faint response.

"You're not slipping. I checked the harness myself. Your rope is tangled around something and not going to break so hang in there. I'll be right down."

"Cut the crap, Carter!" Richards shouted.

Carter hit himself on the forehead. "No, no, no. I didn't mean to sound like an ass by telling you _to hang in there_. I need you to stay calm and not move too much." Carter got on his knees and unclipped his P90, setting it on the surface near the console.

Doctor Upton had already left the rooftop, so the Marine was on his own until someone else could get up to help. He had total confidence in the equipment, but if Victoria panicked and started swinging she could hit the metal supports or could be in shock already.

"Hold tight, I'm on my way up," Colonel Sheppard said. "Is she okay?"

"I heard her, sir. Her radio must have fallen off though."

"Carter." Victoria's voice was unsteady but she seemed to be making sense.

"Hey, Doc. Everyone wants to know how you're doing. Did you lose your radio?" he asked.

"I'm going to fall," she said in a shaky voice.

"Victoria, trust me. You won't fall," he said, but some doubt crept into his mind. He tugged on her harness but didn't check every single clip. It would've been within his right to check the straps around her legs, but with Richards standing nearby Carter didn't want to touch any areas of her body that might seem _intimate_. _Not the swiftest decision in hindsight._

Carter looked down and saw his CO scaling the wall with a rope over his shoulder. A smile came over his lips at the sight. _He's certainly got a hero complex._ "Sir, I'd like to repel down to get Victoria. She's starting to panic and I don't want her hitting into something down there in the dark."

Sheppard stopped in his climb and glanced up. "Good idea, Sergeant. Ronon, don't drop him."

A grunt was the only reply from the Satedan.

"I'm coming down to get you. It won't take too long," Carter called to Victoria.

"The rope's breaking," she whimpered.

"No, the rope's not breaking. It's just stuck."

"Please tell me if I'm going to plunge to my death," she said a bit stronger.

"This isn't a B-movie. I'm not rushing against time because your rope's breaking," Carter replied and then spoke to Ronon and Warrington, "Guys, I'm going down."

After Carter dropped for a minute, his light flashed over a pair of legs attempting to wrap themselves around the rope.

"Holy shit. She's hanging upside down. No wonder she's freaking out," Carter said into the radio. "Victoria, I'm almost there."

"Falling," she yelped.

"Nope," Carter said as he reached out to grab her rope and pull her toward him. "Get ready for some more weight on the rope," he addressed the men on the ground.

"Ahhh," she screamed.

"What's going on, Carter?" Richards snapped since everyone could hear Victoria's scream over the radio.

"Everything's fine, Victoria. I've got you that's what happened to the rope." Carter ignored Richards as he focused on the archaeologist hanging upside down below him. "Let's get you righted, okay?"

Once his light shined on Victoria's face, she opened her eyes, looked up and lunged at his leg, wrapping her arms around it and squeezing with all her strength.

"Hey, I will need to walk when we get out of here," he said with a chuckle. "Let's get you turned around okay?"

"Carter," Victoria yelped as she felt him grab her leg.

"Victoria, let go of my leg. I've got you." Carter reached down and slid an arm around her waist, letting the flashlight drop and dangle from his belt. "I need to get you turned around."

Victoria slowly let go of his leg and reached up with a shaky hand to grab his belt. Carter slid his arm up to her shoulders and pushed her legs down, after a few second she hung upright next to him. The terrified woman threw both arms tightly around his chest and let out a long, shaky breath.

"You're welcome." He chuckled and then added, "Do you think you can reach the flashlight? I need to see the harnesses." Carter didn't want to fumble around to find clamps and be accused of copping a feel.

"I-I think so," she stammered. One hand clutched his shoulder, almost painfully, while the other reached down to pull the flashlight up. The beam stopped somewhere below them. "Oh my gosh."

"What?" Carter turned, causing them to spin.

"What's going on?" Richards asked. "The rope's tighter."

Carter smiled as he realized Richards grabbed his rope once he knew Victoria was with him. "Sorry. Victoria found some… _Son-of-a-bitch_. Victoria, you were right." The beam of light angled to shine between the two of them, showing a broad grin on Carter's face and a weak smile on Victoria's.

"Right about what?" Sheppard's voice echoed.

Carter and Victoria looked up at the same time to see a figure leaning over the edge.

"Jumpers, sir," Carter nearly shouted. "We can see at least two jumpers from here. The metal struts are the bays where they sit."

"Outstanding, Doc," Sheppard called down. "Let's get you out of there and on solid ground to celebrate."

"Yes, sir," Carter beamed.

"Jumpers? There're jumpers in there?" McKay called over the radio. "Why didn't anyone tell me there could be jumpers in there?"

"McKay, can you hold the questions until we finish the rescue?"

* * *

The ride up was uneventful for Victoria. She clung to Carter and tried not to whimper too loudly when Sheppard pulled her away from her savior. _Carter's my hero? What a crazy day._

"I've got you, Doc," Sheppard said as his hands slid around her waist to pull her back from Carter.

When Carter pulled a knife from his boot, Victoria jumped. "Wh-what's that for?"

"To cut the rope," he said as he grabbed her rope and sliced it.

As soon as the rope was cut an irrational fear went through Victoria that she would fall again. It was an experience she never wanted to repeat so she grabbed Carter causing his foot to slip.

"Easy, Doc," Sheppard said as he tightened his hold around her waist. "We don't want to rescue Carter. I don't think I could pay anyone to repel down there for him."

"S-sorry. Not thinking straight." Victoria shot the Sergeant an apologetic look. "I just… I want to get down."

"No problem," Carter said with a grin. "I know you can't wait to thank me properly once we get on the ground."

Sheppard's eyebrows rose and Victoria smiled weakly. "I don't think so. It's your job to save me, right? Just like Corporal Sullivan said."

At the reference to the obnoxious man who ran the weapons' cage, Carter's expression hardened. "You didn't cause this accident." His brown eyes met his CO's hazel ones and some kind of message passed between the military men.

"But _I_ fell. And got I sick at the gate too. I think I should have stayed on Atlantis," she said quietly, hoping no one else could hear.

"This isn't your fault?" Sheppard said a little more firmly. "And you did a great job of not losing it while dangling upside down. Did you know McKay met Ronon when he was hanging upside down from a tree?"

Victoria couldn't help but smile at the thought of her department head hanging from a tree. "No."

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. You're in good company." The Colonel winked.

* * *

After the soldiers gave her enough confidence for the climb down she tried to get a grip on her embarrassment as she clung to Carter's back for the journey to the ground.

When they were a few feet off the ground, hands grabbed her waist and lifted her away from the Sergeant. _I've been carried and lifted so many times I feel like a useless damsel in distress in a Regency novel._ "I'm fine now. I can…" Her words stopped in her throat as Master Gunny Richards guided her away, her feet barely hitting the ground. The steel in his eyes told her not to object.

Once he settled her on the ground, his hands and eyes raked over her body. His much larger hands took hers and turned them around.

"Oh, I didn't get rope burn." She realized what he was doing, but she still couldn't keep the flush from her face. "You don't need to do that."

His hands next moved her head gently as his cool grey eyes looked for bumps and bruises under her hair, which had fallen out of its band. "I didn't hit my head."

"You could be in shock and unaware of your injuries," he deep voice rumbled from his chest.

His nearness and contact was getting her heart pounding again, but for a different reason. _You nearly died and now you're reacting to a man's touch. Definitely too many romance novels._

"What the hell?" Rodney's voice sounded through the clearing. "I told that idiot I never wanted to see Underhill and Cleveland off world again! I didn't even want them on Atlantis."

"It's Upton and Toledo," Radek started, but fell silent. "You know how Sid…"

"I don't care who the hell they are. I never wanted them off world with me again after that last fiasco. And don't tell me Vlad the Impaler doesn't understand my messages. I send them in English and _Russian_." McKay was in screaming mode.

It was something Victoria heard about but never saw. He could give her brother Kyle a run for his money and that man yelled about everything.

"I assume you're Parker?" he asked as he stomped over to stop next to her and Richards with his hands on his hips.

Rising shakily to her feet and brushing aside Richards' assistance, she faced her fuming department head. "Yes, sir. I'm Victoria Parker."

Blue eyes that were as bright as the Stargate puddle bore into her. She felt like she'd done something wrong.

"McKay, now really isn't the time…" Sheppard started.

"I don't tell you when or how to deal with your people. Don't interfere with mine," Rodney barked to his friend before turning his full gaze back on Victoria. "Why the hell did you pick these idiots to be on your team?"

Victoria couldn't prevent her mouth from dropping or her eyes from widening. _My team? What the hell is he talking about?_

TBC


	13. The Great Doctor McKay and Victoria

**A/N: Thanks to the wonderful reviews for this story. Sorry but real life has kept me sick and busy the last few months so my update schedule is way off. I hope to fix that soon. I know this is a story about OCs and minor characters but this chapter will be full of my favorite member of SGA1. Please allow me to indulge myself for a little bit.**

* * *

"What do you mean, _what the hell am I talking about_?" McKay yelled. "I want to know why you picked those morons to be on your team." He stabbed over his shoulder with his thumb before dropping his hands to his hips.

"My team?" Victoria said incredulously, her face glowing from swearing aloud at her department head. "I…"

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"Doctor McKay," Master Gunny Richards said from her side. "She appears unharmed, but I suggest she see Doctor Keller as soon as possible."

At the mention of his girlfriend, Rodney glanced at the Marine and nodded. "Of course. Someone call Atlantis and ask for a medical team."

"I'm fine…"

"Then why can't you answer a simple question?" McKay's gaze drilled into Victoria once more.

"Because I'm the most junior member of my department: I catalog artifacts, write monthly reports, haul stuff around off world and make sure everyone's got clean brushes. I don't _lead_ off world teams," Victoria said with anger in her voice. _The Great_ Doctor Rodney McKay was yelling her for something that wasn't her fault. This day was turning out to be disastrous.

"Whoa-whoa-wait a minute. Are you telling me that for the last five years, the most junior person in archaeology has been doing reports to me and Zelenka?"

Victoria realized what she just did. _Reporting the wrongdoing of your supervisor to his superior is a betrayal of epic proportions._ Her career on Atlantis was over. Tears of frustration and anger threatened to force their way past her stubborn pride, but she held her ground. "I only know that when I got here Doctor Blake, who was the most junior person, gave me my assignments and said she was told when she got here that doing the report was a great way to know what was going on around the department."

Rodney's face was red and his eyes as big as the Stargate. He glared at Radek who shook his head and looked annoyed. "He's gone."

"Rodney…" the Czech started.

"I don't care if he's Vladimir Putin's illegitimate son! He's off my city. There is no _way_ that man is going to keep screwing around with me. He sends the most useless, worthless people he can muster off world with me." His arm swept toward Upton and Toledo again before he continued his tirade. "Then… he can't even do his own reports. No wonder I've gotten nothing but crap out of that department for over four years. Even Jackson can't defend this!"

Victoria wanted to run and hide because this was like getting one of her brothers in trouble, the retribution always sucked. It was going to be a long walk to the Stargate and then even worse when Doctor Sidorov found out what she'd let slip. There was nothing she could say. Trying to salvage some pride and not cry over the fact that her new friends saw her being humiliated in front of them was going to taking all her strength.

"Doctor Jackson hasn't complained about poor reports like we'd seen," Radek added in a calmer voice than his boss. His blue eyes met Victoria's and he suddenly stiffened. "Doctor Parker, you are not in trouble over this. Please don't think we blame you for the actions of your boss."

Victoria offered a weak smile. _What the hell, might as well go out with a bang?_ "No, but I know my boss is going to blame me for losing his job."

"Don't worry about them. You're the only one in that department with part of your brain. You're not going anywhere," McKay stated plainly as if he was saying the sky was blue. "Let Woolsey deal with Jackson," he said to Radek.

Victoria's mouth fell open. She'd just run the gamut of emotions in the last half-hour and getting a compliment thrown at her by Rodney McKay was the last straw. "Excuse me."

Both men turned to look fully at her.

"I'm really sorry to seem like a simple-minded fool, but I'm confused. You said this was _my_ team, but Sidorov just told me to go on the mission," Victoria spoke softly so both men leaned toward her. "He didn't say I was picking a team. And this morning Doctor Upton made it clear I was just carrying stuff."

Rodney turned to stare at the two men who were standing between Ronon and Teyla, who glared at them. "Really? And what was he going to do besides try to score with Teyla?"

It was Victoria's turn to be wide-eyed as Doctor Upton started stammering.

"The last time they came off world, Underhill decided he'd show off his Ancient gene to impress Teyla and nearly blew up a device in the process," Rodney said in the same voice as before, like Victoria were an equal and not far beneath him in the department.

"Rodney, I'll admit that hearing about the inner workings of you department is fascinating, but Lorne called from the gate and Doctor Keller's here. You know how upset she gets if she's kept from a patient," Sheppard interrupted.

It was the first that Victoria realized that Major Lorne and Sergeant Raven weren't part of the assembly at the base of the pyramid. "I said I'm fine," Victoria began.

"No. Sheppard's right. Better let Jennifer decide if you're fit for duty." Rodney nodded back toward the gate and looked away to end the conversation.

"But I'm…" she tried again. Somehow the mention of Jennifer changed Doctor McKay's entire attitude.

"Let's go," a deep voice commanded as a hand landed on her shoulder and gently but firmly turned her in the direction they needed to go.

* * *

"Thought I'd have to come to your rescue, McKay," Ronon said as he stepped up to his teammate.

Sheppard approached with a smirk, shaking his head. Teyla stood nearby as she watched Doctors Upton and Toledo grabbing the equipment packs as Victoria left with Richards and Dusty flanking her.

"What?" Rodney questioned with a blank look on his face.

"You wouldn't have had the chance, Ronon. I'd be stuck with a court-martial and paperwork, not to mention one pissed off CMO." Sheppard's eyes drifted to the civilians and Marines leaving the clearing.

"What are you babbling about?" Rodney barked. "I've gotta get back to Atlantis, order the engineers to cut down some trees so we can get jumpers out here to explore that building _and_ deal with Sidorov."

"They are trying to tell you that you were in danger when you yelled at Doctor Parker." Teyla smiled with a knowing look on her face.

"Yelled? I didn't yell at her?" Rodney looked at his team and let his annoyance show.

"You raised your voice to Doctor Parker," Teyla explained slowly.

"So?"

"That's asking for a death sentence." John chimed in while trying not to laugh at how thick Rodney was being.

"McKay, what would you do if some jerk yelled at Jennifer?" Ronon asked

"I'd see that he never stepped foot on Atlantis after I tore him a new one." Rodney puffed up his chest and gave Ronon a questioning look. "Why?"

"Only we know you couldn't _physically_ hurt him," Ronon offered with a grin forming.

"Well imagine you had the skills of a certain ex-Black Ops Marine at your disposal?" John added.

"Holy crap. Why didn't you tell me she was involved with Richards?" Rodney nearly shouted.

"Hey he figured it out," Ronon said chuckling. "He can be taught."

"Very funny." Rodney glared at his team. "So you let me put _my_ valuable life on the line…"

"Because _I don't tell you how to deal with your people_," John mimicked Rodney's earlier words with air quotes around them.

As his teammates started walking away, the scientist called to Ronon, "So you would have protected me?"

"No. I want Richards to spar with me and not hold back but I'm not going to provoke him by _attacking_ his girlfriend," Ronon chuckled. "That's suicide."

TBC

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* * *

A/N: Thank you for letting me indulge myself with the Team. Not enough of all of them in stories and they ran away with me.**


	14. Trapped in the Infirmary

**A/N: Thank **_**Crystal Moon Magic**_** for this update. This was not the story I wanted to update, but the desperate email I received while on vacation got me going with this little filler chapter-as I like to call them. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and feedback. Thanks **_**BetherdyBabe**_** for the quick beta.**

* * *

Doctor Keller was doing everything by-the-book as far as Victoria could tell, down to the stretcher she brought with her through the gate and it drove the archaeologist nuts. When Victoria balked at getting on it, an annoyed CMO stated that she'd order one of the "_strong men standing around here to pick you up and place you on it." _

A nod from Richards to Doctor Keller as he moved to take off his gun had Victoria leaping onto the stretcher for her ride to the infirmary.

* * *

A humiliated Doctor Parker allowed Marie to finish with her blood draw. The nurse told her that it was standard procedure after being off world and that she shouldn't be upset about all the tests.

"People have developed terrible conditions from the tiniest things in this galaxy," Marie said as she patted Victoria's arm. "Besides, enjoy all the attention." The nurse winked knowingly and left.

The archaeologist had no idea what she was talking about so she slumped back on the infirmary bed as she groused some more. _There's no way I'll be allowed to leave tonight. _Her eyes drifted to the tray with a sandwich and soup_. Better deal with the crappy food and get some rest. _

A soft knock on the door drew her from her musings. Master Gunnery Sergeant Richards stood in the doorway dressed in a black t-shirt, which outlined the muscles on his chest, black pants and what looked like hiking boots in place of the combat boots most of the Marines favored. He had one hand behind his back and the other was raced to knock on the frame.

"H-hi," Victoria gasped. She'd had several visitors before Doctor Keller chased them all away: Major Lorne, sheepishly following Pamela, Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Zelenka, Ronon and Teyla. She'd heard the voices of Sergeants Raven, Mehra and Warrington, but they'd been sent packing by the CMO.

"I brought some contraband," he held out a white bag obviously taken from the cafeteria.

"What?"

"Doctor Foster's nutritional restrictions don't allow this, but _I_ think you deserve it."

"You're breaking the rules? Aren't you like a Boy Scout-Super Soldier?" Victoria asked with a smile as Richards entered the room and let the door slide shut behind him.

"You know what they say about rumors," he replied in a deep voice devoid of emotion, but she swore his lips were twitching and his eyes held only humor in them.

"That they always have a basis in fact." Victoria hated the rumor mill and realized she was just quoting it. "But I never take stock in it. I like to make my own opinions."

"And what are your opinions of me?" He pulled up a stool and held onto the white bag like it held something important as he sat down.

Victoria felt heat rise up her neck, which was exposed by the hospital gown. She couldn't find anything to say except to stammer about not knowing him and being impressed with the way everyone deferred to him. "I mean you're the head of security…"

"No, Major Deborah Hawley is the head of security, reporting to Major Lorne," he corrected with a smile overtaking the grim line his lips were trying to maintain. "And I was never a Boy Scout."

"Really?" Victoria had an image of the All-American boy, star of the football team if she thought about his childhood.

"Nope. Far from it," he replied. "Don't you want to see what's in the bag?"

"Of course, but I don't want to be rude."

"You're too polite for that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Victoria raised her brows and observed the big man resting on the stool, which seemed too small for his six-foot-three frame.

"Exactly what it means. Now enjoy your food before Doctor Foster smells it and comes to confiscate it." The smile he showed fleetingly over the last twenty-four hours had taken up residence on his face and she thought it made him look younger than the crows' feet around his eyes implied.

Victoria opened the bag and her mouth fell open for a moment before she could put together words. "Is that a chocolate chip, chocolate frosted brownie?"

"A favorite of Colonel Carter when she was here and Mister Woolsey as well since he never stopped the special order. Only a select few of us know about the two dozen that arrive with each _Daedalus_ run."

"You stole one?" Her eyes widened as she looked into grey eyes that never wavered from her blue eyes.

"It was more like I called in a favor. Now eat up."

After one bite of the decadent dessert, Victoria closed her eyes and moaned. "This is heavenly. I could kiss you."

"I know for a fact that Doctor Keller won't tolerate that behavior in her infirmary unless it's her and Doctor McKay," he said, a full grin finally splitting his features.

"No!" Victoria shouted, causing her to swallow too much brownie and start coughing. Within seconds a glass of water was in her hand and a large hand rested on her back. "I… No… D-don't want to… kiss you… Only… figure of speech." She labored to get the words out between coughs and sips of water.

"I understand. Carter rescued you, so he should get the kiss." Richards looked toward the door and then back to Victoria while letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Yuck. That'd be like kissing one of my brothers," she replied as he smiled at her embarrassment. The thought of being kissed by a man like Richards sent a shiver down her spine all the way to her toes. _His focus and intensity would probably make a woman pass out if it was invested in a kiss._

"Please excuse interruption," a thickly accented Russian voice said after the door swished open.

Victoria looked from Richards to her boss; Doctor Sidorov seemed to have his wild hair under control for once. The normally gruff man seemed subdued and Victoria wondered if McKay just fired him.

"You're not interrupting anything," Victoria replied quickly as she glanced at Richards who stood up but made no move to leave.

"I am sorry about today. Vere you injured badly?" Sidorov glanced at Richards and then his eyes connected with Victoria's. "Doctors Upton and Toledo are being removed from Atlantis tonight."

"I hope you're not being fired. I'm sure I can…" Victoria was cut off before she could finish by a gruff laugh and wave of hand.

"It vill take man much greater than McKay to fire me." His laughter intensified and caused Victoria to offer a weak smile. "Are you okay? You vill be here until tomorrow, da?"

"Doctor Keller wants to make sure nothing weird happened to me while I was dangling in the pyramid." Victoria's annoyance at her confinement was showing in her normally calm demeanor.

A heartier laugh came from the Russian archaeologist. "Not a surprise. You are now big star with McKay. He cannot vait to go back there and you vill be leading our efforts."

"_Me_?"

"Da. You did good job with finding jumpers, even Caldwell staying to help if ve need them. The military is always happy to have more veapons," Sidorov announced and then his eyes fell on Richards, who had remained next to her bed, and lingered for a few moments. "You are great American Marine Sergeant Richards."

Sidorov spoke as if he stated a fact and it drew a raised brow from the Marine. Victoria had no idea what had caused her boss to say such a thing, but she guessed even he had heard the stories of Richards' exploits and saw him as a bit of a celebrity.

"My son said you and O'Neill vere only Americans he'd ever fight with."

Victoria's eyes widened because she had no idea Sidorov had a son or that he was a soldier in the SGC.

"I was sorry to hear about your loss." Richards nodded solemnly to the older man, who offered a brief smile.

"Anatoly vanted to be soldier since he vas a little boy. When I heard he vould never valk again after battle with Ori, I knew he vas already dead. Only took a year for it to finally happen." Sidorov said gruffly, obviously trying not to let any emotions show.

"Doctor Sidorov, I'm so sorry." Victoria felt her heart breaking for this man. He'd seemed as cold as a Siberian winter, but obviously dealt with a great deal grief in his life. She knew that his wife died long ago from a heart attack but never heard a word about a son.

"Thank you, dorogój," Sidorov nodded as a look of genuine affection covered his bearded face. "I leave you two alone now. Vill see you at meeting with McKay in the morning." The Russian turned and left after a nod to the Marine.

"I am never going to allow anyone to say anything bad about him again," Victoria announced as a protective wave overcame her. "The losses he's endured give him the right to be cold and withdrawn if he wants to be. I have all my family and three of my four grandparents. I can't imagine losing those closest to you. How do you go on?"

"It does get easier with time." Richards had turned to fully face her.

As she looked into his eyes once more, she saw a flash of an emotion she never imagined he showed to anyone, _regret_. "Are… Did your parents…"

"Yes," he stopped her from finishing. "A long, long time ago."

"I'm sorry," she said as the desire to reach out and take his hand caused hers to lift, but she thought better of it and grabbed the bag holding more of her brownie instead. "I'll shut up now."

"Don't feel bad. You haven't done anything but be the compassionate person I know you to be."

"How do you know so much about me?" she asked as her curiosity about his_ all-knowing _reputation got the best of her.

Before he could respond someone else came through the door to her room.

"There you are. I think Jennifer hid you back her so I couldn't find you," Rodney McKay began as he barreled into her room not knocking or even really looking at her. "I wanted to talk about tomorrow."

"I think Doctor Parker needs to rest tonight, Doctor McKay," Richards said from her side, causing her department head to jump.

"Oh, Sergeant. I mean, Master Sergeant. No, Gunny…" he mumbled. "Master Gunny, I didn't see you there. I only wanted to let her know we're not doing _anything_ tomorrow until she's fit for duty. Nope. No work before you're ready." The genius waved a scolding finger at Victoria as if she suggested she get to work right now.

"I'm fine. Really. Doctor Keller just wants to be…"

"You can never be too cautious in the Pegasus Galaxy. I've had tons of problems come from the simplest of missions," McKay began as he put his hands in his pocket and seemed to be afraid to make eye contact with her or look too long in her direction. "I, um. I'll just go and…"

"I want a guard outside this room." Jennifer Keller's voice cut off her fiancé. "No more visitors," she said to Victoria.

"I didn't ask for them. They keep showing up," the archaeologist defended herself.

"I'm not mad at you. This one," she grabbed the sleeve of McKay's jacket, "knows better than to disturb someone who's on restricted duty."

"I just wanted to let her know that she doesn't need to be worried about anything. When she's ready, whatever she needs we'll get," Rodney said, shooting a smile at Victoria and putting a hand on Jennifer's arm. "I don't want her stressing about work."

"Out." Jennifer pointed to the door. "No talk of work until I release her."

Rodney bowed his head, looked at Victoria and said, "Get some rest. I'm glad you're not injured. That idiot is gone so he won't injure anyone again by the way."

Victoria felt bad because it was her nature to never want anything bad to happen to anyone because of her, but she couldn't help having a small bit of satisfaction that Rodney McKay got rid of a thorn in her side. _Upton got what he deserved, _a voice said in the back of her mind and it made her smile at the astrophysicist."Thank you, Doctor McKay. I'll be ready as soon as I'm released for any meetings you need to have."

"Excellent," Rodney said as his face brightened.

"Out," the CMO said as she now shoved her boyfriend out the door. "And two minutes for you too."

"Yes, ma'am," Richards replied.

"You better go. I don't want you to get in trouble. You've already brought me an illegal substance." She smiled as she licked her lips, which still tasted like chocolate.

"Gotta keep up the bad boy persona somehow," he said as he stepped closer to the bed.

"_You_ were a bad boy?" she asked still amazed at all this man was sharing with her this evening.

"That's a conversation for another day." Richards glanced at his watch. "I believe you'll spend tomorrow with Doctors Sidorov, Zelenka and McKay, but if you get to have a meal without them let me know."

"Why? Are you asking me on a date?" Victoria spoke the words and then felt her face heat up.

A chuckle came from Richards. "It's just grabbing some food together. I'd hardly call that a _date_."

Victoria was stunned. "Um. I-I'd love to. If I'm free."

"Of course. Same here." Richards smiled once more. "Get some rest, Victoria."

There was something so intimate about hearing her first name coming from his mouth that she couldn't speak. With her mouth partially open she watched as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: This was a hard one to write as it's not the normal way I write Richards. I hope the die-hard fans will allow my indulgence.**


	15. Breakfast

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and Betherdy Babe's beta. The introduction of Sergeant Shyan Davids was written by the 'real' Shyan, thanks for your little scene and for your service in The Corps- Oorah!**

* * *

"Good morning, Victoria," Dusty said from the doorway as Victoria finished pulling on her jacket. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, I did," the archaeologist said as she turned to face her new friend. "You're off duty?"

"I'm on standby," the Marine replied. "Until you need me I guess."

"You're not in trouble for yesterday are you?" Victoria couldn't forget the story Dusty told her about incuring the wrath of Richards and Lorne. "You didn't do anything wrong but keep me company."

Dusty looked away with guilt written all over her features. "Kinda."

"What happened?"

"The reason you fell so far on your rope was… Well I wasn't prepared. I mean, I…"

"You dropped me?" Victoria almost yelled except that she remembered she was in the infirmary. A nod of the head and closed eyes on her friend confirmed her thoughts. "Seriously?"

"Yes. The rope started yanking through my hands and my instinct was to let go."

"But you grabbed it or else I would have fallen a lot further." Victoria studied the brown eyes, which were avoiding her own.

"I was relieved of my duties when Master Gunny shoved me out of the way and grabbed the rope." Dusty finally looked at Victoria.

At the mention of the man who haunted Victoria's dreams, the growing anger in her dissipated. Her night was spent with images of Dwayne's smile, grey eyes and the feel of his hand on her back, so she had awoken in a very good mood. The sound of her name on his lips still rang through her head. "Lucky me."

"Yeah, lucky you," Dusty said. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I definitely would have dropped you so I can't be mad."

"Gee thanks," Dusty replied before both women started laughing. "Let's get some breakfast."

"I'm starving. I hope they have more eggs and bacon. I didn't get any yesterday," Victoria confessed as the two new friends exited the infirmary.

* * *

They encountered Sergeant Raven on their way to the mess hall and fell into step by his side.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Victoria.

"My legs are a bit stiff and my stomach hurts. Doctor Keller said it's like a seat belt injury after being in a car accident."

"At least nothing…" Raven stopped moving.

Victoria and Dusty stopped and glanced at each other.

"Doctor Parker, please move two steps to your right. Dusty, two steps to your left," he said without turning.

"Why?" Dusty asked with her typical attitude in her voice.

"Just do it," he replied.

Victoria did as she was told while looking at Dusty.

"Three, two, one." At this point Raven was tackled from behind by a dark haired blur knocking him forward. He recovered from the jolt and turned back a bit so Victoria could get a look at his face, which was tilted toward the woman on his back. She had her arms around his neck and whispered something in his ear, causing him to blush as red as the stripe on Mister Woolsey's jacket.

"What the…" Victoria started as Dusty burst into a fit of laughter.

"Victoria, meet Sergeant Shyan Davids," Dusty said as she swiped tears from her eyes. "Raven's fiancé."

"Uh… nice to meet you," she said to the back of the Marine.

Davids waved as she continued to whisper in Chris's ear, causing his eyes to widen. Spinning around, he kissed her soundly on the lips and threw her over his shoulder to disappear down the hall.

"Do I want to know?" Victoria asked Dusty.

"Probably not." Dusty glanced down the corridor. "I hope they keep quiet in whatever closet they find because there's no way in hell Master Gunny'll let them in the barracks level."

"You said fiancé? I had no idea soldiers could fraternize like that." Victoria had to admit she was intrigued how they managed to keep a relationship going while both risking their life on a daily basis.

"Shyan's on the _Daedalus_ so they have different chains of command." Dusty nodded toward the mess hall. "It'll be hours before we see either of them again. Let's get some food."

* * *

The mess hall was crowded again as everyone filed in to get some of the fresh food that the _Daedalus_ brought. Victoria looked around and didn't see her friends or any of the Marines from yesterday. Dusty bumped her arm and motioned that she needed to speak with someone.

Major Ann Teldy was the highest-ranking female team leader on Atlantis. Victoria had arrived shortly after a disastrous mission that killed one of her team and led to the team's disbandment. Seeing Dusty talking with the Major put all the pieces of the puzzle regarding the female Marine together. Dusty had obviously been on Major Teldy's team and the lost teammate was part of the cross the Marine seemed to carry.

"Victoria," Heather's voice made her start as she waited in line.

"Hello."

"How are you?" the normally reserved Midwesterner reached out to grip her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we just heard from Pamela this morning."

"I'm fine. And don't worry; you wouldn't have gotten in to see me when you got off last night anyways. Doctor Keller almost put a lock on my door." Victoria smiled at Heather and Miko who both looked truly concerned.

"I bet Colonel Sheppard felt terrible you were hurt," Miko said. "But you did not get hurt in the gate. I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Miko!" Heather snapped. "Now is not the time…"

Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "You were right, Miko, no issues in the gate."

The Japanese engineer smiled broadly. "I need to get to work. I will see you later."

"Thanks, Miko. Enjoy your day." Victoria waved as her friend left.

"We've got a table outside," Heather said, motioning to the balcony. "Elisa has the morning shift so she'll be gone soon, but Juanita is there and dying for the lowdown if you know what I mean." Her brown eyes rolled at the mention of the female engineer.

"I'll be out in a few. I've gotta have a hot breakfast this morning." Victoria smiled as her friend left and went back to waiting in line. When she got to the serving area she noted there was no sausage left. Closing her eyes and letting out a sigh, she gave into the disappointment at having missed it two days in a row, yesterday it was those idiots that kept her from her favorite breakfast food and today it was friends. _I just can't win._

"Is there a problem, Doctor Parker?"

"No," Victoria said, her eyes opening quickly to see a middle-aged man behind the counter. "I-I was just upset I missed the sausage again."

"Come over here." He nodded with his head for her to go to the far end of the counter. Master Sergeant Dixon was responsible for the kitchen and mess hall and Victoria had no idea what was going on as had never spoke to her before.

* * *

Victoria couldn't help but smile as she made her way to the balcony. The Master Sergeant filled her plate with sausage, pancakes and a freshly baked chocolate chip muffin. She had a feeling that news of her off world adventure made its way through the soldiers on the base and they all felt sorry for her. Of course the gruff Air Force Sergeant disagreed when she said he didn't have to do anything special for her. A mumbled comment about not being forced to endure hand-to-hand training at his age wasn't lost on Victoria.

Her tray was heaped with hot food that she wouldn't have gotten yesterday and she couldn't help but feel it had something to do with a certain grey-eyed Marine. A flush filled her cheeks as she remembered the last person to leave her infirmary room last night. The way her name fell off his tongue made her feel… _special_. And the comment about grabbing food kept her from falling asleep for hours. _What if he wanted a real date some day? What would you do on a date with someone like Dwayne? Hunting? Fishing? Too bad we couldn't go to a boxing match or something, I bet he'd like that?_

"Victoria! Get your head out of the clouds and get over here," Juanita Esposito's voice yanked her back to reality.

Looking quickly around she saw several people staring and turned redder than Raven had in the corridor. She nearly ran over to the table and sat next to Heather.

"Oh! You've gotta tell me who rescued you." Juanita wasted no time on asking how she was but got right to her only concern.

"Why that would be me," a voice that Victoria hadn't heard since she got back said from directly behind her.

Juanita's eyes rose to look over Victoria's head and widened. "And you are?"

"Sergeant Carter," Victoria replied as the heat intensified in her cheeks. _Daydreaming and now Carter. How much more embarrassing will this morning get? _"Doctor Esposito, Heather Cove and Elisa Reynolds…"

"The lovely Help Desk ladies."

Victoria saw her two friends turn red. _At least I'm not alone._ "I take it they've solved some computer problem for you?"

"Absolutely," Will replied as he set his tray next to hers. "Just give me a minute to drag another table over her and then we can discuss payment for my rescue services."

Before Victoria could respond, her new friend did it for her, "Payment for your _rescue services_... How about not getting punched in the face by Master Gunny?"

"Carter, you seriously have a death wish man," Warrington's deep baritone joined the group as he put his tray on a nearby table and started moving it next to Victoria and her friends.

Dusty set her tray next to Victoria, moving Carter's to the other table. "I'm Dusty," she said sticking her hand in Juanita's face.

"Doctor Esposito. Juanita," the slightly shocked engineer replied.

"Charmed," Dusty said with no emotion in her voice. She turned to introduce herself to Elisa and Heather and seemed much more welcoming to them.

"Hey, honey, I was sitting there," Carter replied after he pulled over a couple more chairs.

"You ever call me honey again and Doctor Keller won't be able to remove this fork from your…"

"Dusty!" Victoria shouted, her face scarlet since the female Marine arrived and shouted that Richards might punch Carter for his comment.

"Sorry." Dusty smiled and nodded to the others. "I'm not used to eating with folks who don't swear as much as the typical grunts I usually hang out with."

"That's fine," Elisa replied. "I've got lots of brothers like Victoria. I'd love to visit, Dusty, but I gotta go."

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you at meal time."

Victoria was stunned. For Dusty to sit with her this morning wasn't too surprising after all they went through yesterday, but for her to talk like it was a permanent thing truly surprised the archaeologist. Tough chicks never befriended her before. They bullied her to no end in high school, but would never hang out with her. _Did I end up in another reality when I went through the gate? _She almost left to go find Miko.

"Seriously though. As the rescuer I am entitled to some type of favor from the fair lady. It happens in all those trashy books Raven reads," Carter continued in his usual _unphased_ manner when threatened with bodily injury.

The only places Victoria could look besides her plate was the faces of her friends: Heather's barely controlled laughter did nothing for her but the icy glare from Juanita did help to cool her a bit.

"All right, Carter, that's enough. I am not going to be stuck with all the shitty assignments around here because you've gotten yourself killed," Warrington piped in.

"No one is going to kill me. Besides Victoria is the woman I'm going to marry so everyone better just deal with it."

Heather erupted in laughter, Juanita huffed, Dusty shook her head and Warrington stiffened. Victoria was too humiliated to even open her mouth.

"Sergeant Carter, I believe Doctor Parrish and several botanists are going back to the mainland. You will accompany Sergeant Stackhouse in Jumper Four and remain with them until tomorrow."

"Come on," Carter whined.

Victoria wanted to crawl under the table and die. She might actually have passed out already except that a voice sounded in her earwig. "Doctor McKay, where are you?" She said loudly and refused to look at anyone, especially the man who'd just sent Carter packing for the next couple of days.

"Um, uh, in the mess hall. I wanted to…"

"Okay. Sure I can join you for a breakfast meeting, Doctor McKay. I've got several ideas about the team I'll need." Victoria felt awful cutting off her department head and hoped Doctor Sidirov wasn't joking about how excited McKay was about her discovery. _Hopefully it'll buy me one slip up._

"That'd be great. I'm with Doctor Zelenka…"

"I'll be right there." She stood quickly and grabbed her tray. "Sorry to run everyone, but when Doctor McKay calls you better move. I'll catch you guys later," she said to Heather and Juanita, who scowled at her.

When she turned and saw Dwayne Richards, dressed in full tactical gear, she smiled. "Good morning, Master Gunny."

"Good morning, Doctor Parker," he replied. There was nothing about his demeanor that changed from when she'd been with him in the presence of other people yesterday, but she swore the way he said her name was different.

"You'll have to thank me tomorrow," Carter said as he got up. "Because I won't be home for supper tonight, dear."

Strengthened by Dwayne's presence and the fact that Carter really was as much of a pain in her backside as her brother Kyle, she said, "I think I'll have Dave put some poison ivy in your underwear." Her eye caught the hint of a twitch to Dwayne's lips so she said to him, "My brothers always loved to do that to each other."

With Dusty and Warrington's laughter it was hard to hear, but Dwayne replied, "I'll be sure never to anger your brothers."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: For those who don't know (like my beta and me until educated by **_**LadyGris**_**) most fan fiction authors give Parrish the first name of Dave. **


	16. Preparing to Leave

**A/N: Answering the requests for more frequent updates. They might be smaller, so no complaining if it takes longer to get the story moving ;-) I don't have time for long, frequent updates because RL takes a lot of my time. Fluff alert, BTW.**

* * *

The breakfast meeting with Doctors McKay and Zelenka and Colonel Sheppard took a couple hours. By the time it was over Victoria found herself getting ready to go back to the planet with SGA1. Doctor McKay refused to wait too long as he was desperate to start looking at the jumpers that were inside the pyramid. She was given half an hour to get her computer and stuff together.

When Victoria entered the armory where she'd just been the previous morning, she noticed a massive poster for a Mixed Martial Arts Tournament the coming Friday night. Her brow rose as she remembered her earlier thoughts about a potential _date_ with Dwayne.

"Thinking about competing?" a deep voice said from behind her, causing her to jump and scream.

"You scared me to death." Victoria clutched her chest as she turned.

"Not my intention at all, Doctor Parker." Dwayne's use of her title signified to Victoria that he was on duty.

"I have no secret martial arts background. My brother competed in Tae Kwon Do when I was younger so I went to a lot of tournaments," she explained, looking at the Marine who was in full tactical gear and holding a smaller tac vest in his hands. "Are you fighting?"

"No." He held the vest out for her to take.

"Are you going with us?" she asked, trying not to sound too excited about going off world with him. _I have never had a crush this bad this quickly before._

A slight smile curved his lips. "I think Colonel Sheppard wants to make sure you don't get into any trouble this time."

"Like a personal body guard?" Her mouth parted as her eyes met his. "Really?"

He nodded slightly, a smile still playing near the edge of his lips. When she took the vest, Richards stepped closer and took the straps around her waist to tighten them. His proximity caused her to swallow and avert her eyes as she felt a blush flow over her face. "I-I can do it."

He finished and stepped back before she finished speaking. "Do you want a weapon?"

"Wh-what?" She was still slightly stunned by his sudden nearness, the feel of his hands brushing her body when he grabbed the straps and-if she was honest-sad that it didn't last longer than a second.

"Do you want a weapon?" he repeated. "SGA1 has a _slight_ reputation for running into trouble."

Victoria started laughing. "I think I need as many guns as you have if I want to be prepared for their bad luck."

Master Gunny allowed himself a smile and then went to the cage to get her a holster and 9mil.

Victoria was emboldened by his attention and the special treatment she seemed to be getting because of him so she decided to go for broke._ Let's see if Dwayne was serious about a date being something other than a meal. _"So if you're not fighting are you going? If I don't have any work I think I might. Would you like to… I mean I'd like if… Um… Maybe we could…" Her confidence waned and she found herself babbling by the end. Closing her eyes and turning away she could feel her face flame with embarrassment.

"Yes," Richards' deep voice responded from behind her.

"I… Um…" Victoria couldn't bring herself to finish the question. Never in her nearly thirty years did she ever ask a guy out. _What are you thinking? This is Master Gunny Richards, he is beyond your league. He's in another universe._

"Assuming I don't get called out to rescue someone."

"What?" Victoria had no idea what he was talking about.

"You were just going to ask me to go to the fights with you." His voice was close behind her once again.

She turned and saw the emotionless face he had when on duty, a gun and holster in his one hand and a headset in the other. "I… Um… I was just wondering if you were going and wanted to… go with me."

"I've never had a woman ask me on a date to the fights," he continued as he handed her the gear.

"It's not a _date_. It's just a couple of people watching them... _together_. I saw the poster and figured with all the different cultures, not to mention Teyla and Ronon, that it might be interesting. But I didn't mean a date… a real _date_." She couldn't stop stumbling over words or using too many of them. The archaeologist couldn't imagine the shade of red her face might be.

"So you're not asking me out?"

"Stop teasing me!" she snapped.

"You make it so easy I can't help myself, Victoria."

The use of her name halted her complaints and caused her blush to deepen for a different reason. "You really want to go with me? I mean… People will think…"

"Plenty of people already think we're dating." His tone and facial expression gave no indication to the young woman what was going on in his head.

"Where would they get that idea?" So the special treatment she thought she was getting was true. _People think you're with Richards and are scared of you._ It was hard for her not to laugh at that concept.

"I have no clue." It was easy for a man like Richards to keep a poker face and Victoria was annoyed with it."We better get going. I don't want to keep Doctor McKay waiting."

She nodded, took the holster, headset and grabbed her backpack. Richards stepped aside so she could leave first. _I have a date with **The** Master Gunny Richards._ She stopped walking when she realized what just happened.

"Are you okay?" he asked from close by her side.

Shocked from her actions, Victoria replied, "I just asked you out."

"I won't hold it against you. I like a woman who'll go after what she wants."

Victoria was still scarlet by the time they reached the jumper bay and Richards almost looked as smug as Doctor McKay.

TBC


	17. The Pyramid

**A/N: Thanks again for the wonderful responses and all the nice comments. No beta so all errors are mine. **

* * *

"Doctor Parker, are you all right?" Teyla asked.

Victoria looked into concerned brown eyes. "What?"

"You look… flushed. Are you concerned about traveling through the gate again? " Teyla inquired.

"I'm sorry. I… Um…" Victoria was still trying to come to grips with what she'd done. _I pick on my friends for wanting to pick up men and then I ask one of the most mysterious men on the base on a date. And he accepts!_

"I scared her in the armory," Richards jumped in.

Victoria's flaming face darkened as she whipped her head around to look into the stony face of the Marine.

"You need to stop scaring the scientists," Ronon growled as he came up behind Richards.

"No. I… I'm concerned." Three sets of eyes looked at her and made her extremely self-conscious. Her mind raced for any excuse other than the truth that she was worrying about a date. "I-I'm intimidated… by Doctor McKay." _That's not a total lie._

"I don't think Rodney'll cause you any problems, Victoria," Ronon said, doing a terrible job of not laughing.

Victoria looked confused, but Teyla only smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, he's most agreeable lately."

"Oh. Of course, Doctor Keller's influence. Although I do have to say she scared me more than him yesterday." Victoria tried to lighten the mood and forget about the imposing man standing slightly behind her.

Ronon couldn't contain his laughter any longer. "Maybe they're switching personalities."

"That's terrifying," Colonel Sheppard chimed in as he walked up behind the gathering. "Rodney McKay with needles."

* * *

Somehow being in the jumper made Victoria more at ease flying through the Stargate so the panic of the day before never came. Doctor McKay requested that she sit in the cockpit with him to go over some readings he downloaded, which also provided a distraction.

A device in a building not far from the edge of the city interfered with their radios yesterday, but didn't caused an issue for the initial team led by Doctor Upton. Neither Rodney nor Radek had time to figure out what it did because Victoria fell in the pyramid. Her department head wanted to investigate it after their view of the pyramid interior.

"So what was different?" Victoria often stated the obvious to help her to organize her thoughts.

"We had a lot more people," Sheppard chimed in from the pilot's seat.

"And we went into the building," Rodney added.

"But the interference started before then, right?" Victoria asked.

"Yes," Rodney said looking dejected.

"It could have something to do with the people though. Maybe we set off a… burglar alarm or something like that." Victoria felt the need to pump up her boss.

Rodney snapped his fingers and then they flew across the keyboard on his console. "Or…"

Victoria couldn't help absorbing some of McKay's excitement, his face scrunched up and his eyes widened with delight.

"Are you going to tell us your great find, McKay?" John interrupted. "Because we're here."

Victoria had to admit she really was out of her elements sitting in the cockpit with two of the most famous men in the Stargate program. The fact that she missed the flight across the valley really shook her. _When did I turn into a groupie?_

"I don't think it's the fact that we had more people," Rodney finally said. "It's who we had."

Sheppard's eyebrow rose and he looked to Victoria.

"Gene carriers. There were four of you," Victoria offered. "But why would Ancients want to detect themselves?"

"I seldom ask why the Ancients did most of what they did. Nothing ever works right and often blows up in someone's face," John said. "Usually McKay's."

"Ha. Ha, Sheppard," Rodney groaned. "That joke is getting so old."

"Blowing up a solar system will never get old," John laughed.

* * *

The jumper floated down inside the pyramid, its lights shining along the walls to reveal dozens of slots for jumpers to sit in. Colonel Sheppard turned the jumper in a circle so he could look at all the wall space. There were five jumpers grouped near where Victoria fell. As the jumper continued to lower into the pyramid, anxiety rose in Victoria. "How deep is this because we must be below ground by now?"

"Don't know," Rodney said. "Something is dampening our scanners."

Victoria turned to look over the data Rodney was sharing. It appeared that the scanners stopped functioning once they entered the structure. "Did you detect power anywhere before we entered the structure, Doctor McKay?"

"I didn't have any energy readings."

"They what's powering this dampening device? And what was powering the device yesterday?"

"Something internal," Rodney responded. "But it doesn't mean there isn't a ZPM in here somewhere." He turned to smile at her.

"You're pretty lucky, Doctor Parker. Five jumpers, why not a ZPM," Sheppard added with a chuckle.

"I'll be happy to get back without anything going wrong this time," Victoria added.

The jumper went down a few hundred feet before it hit the dirt floor. Rising up in front of the jumper were two massive black doors that seemed to be fitted into the bedrock under the pyramid. The doors were sealed and the walls on either side were devoid of control panels.

"That looks like the material Atlantis is made out of. It must be Ancient," Victoria said as she leaned forward to see better.

"Let's take a look," the Colonel said as he got up and took his gun.

Victoria didn't want to question the leader of SGA1, but thought they should try to do more scans before leaving the safety of the jumper. When Rodney looked just as eager as his teammate, she knew to hold her tongue. Her working relationship with Doctor McKay was calm and professional after their first encounter and she didn't want to upset that dynamic.

"Where are we going?" Ronon asked as he waited for the ramp to lower.

"To take a look at a big door," Rodney said as he grabbed a pack on the way out. "Doctor Parker, look around the area over there to see if there's a control panel. We'll check around the doors."

Victoria looked into the dark area behind the jumper and swallowed hard.

A light cut through the darkness and moved in a slow pattern around the area she needed to survey and Richards' voice said quietly, "Your brothers aren't here to jump out and scare you."

"Can you read minds?" Victoria gasped as he hit on the reason for her fear of the dark.

He glanced at her, still bathed in the light from the jumper, and motioned for her to follow him.

Victoria couldn't help but smile and feel totally secure following the big Marine around the area. _He's not going to lose his head because you're here. He's got a job to do and will do it even if you didn't have a date lined up._

Victoria had to admit that she was concerned about him coming on this mission with her. Having had one awful relationship with a Postdoctoral Fellow during her first year of graduate school left her committed to no more work place relationships. In a galaxy where danger abounds, a relationship could pose a life or death hazard if it ended badly. Seeing Richards with his _battle_ expression, eyes flickering around to assess the area for threat and his weapon at the ready, gave her some hope that he could separate his personal and professional life.

"I have heard stories from Jeannie Miller about how brothers treat their sisters on Earth," Teyla said from her side, causing her to start.

"Jeannie Miller?" Victoria's brain scrambled to place the name.

"Doctor McKay's sister," Teyla said as the light from her P90 joined Richards and provided enough light for Victoria to see nothing but dirt and stones, which formed the walls. They rose up to the opening at the top and were covered with struts sticking out of the walls to hold the jumpers.

"What was this place?" Victoria said aloud.

"I do not know. We have never seen a place like this during my time traveling with Colonel Sheppard," Teyla stated.

"Sorry. I often talk out loud about what's going on in my head," she said slightly embarrassed. "Jumpers flew here, lowered inside the building, parked in these slots… But how did the Ancients get out of them?" Victoria had taken a flash light out of her backpack and aimed it up through the struts. There were no walkways, only supports for the jumpers.

"Remote control?" Ronon said, appearing next to Richards.

"I think you're on to something, Ronon," Victoria replied. She took out her camera and snapped a few pictures of the struts above her. "I need to get out the spot lights we have packed so we can have more light to explore."

"I'll grab 'em," Ronon said and started toward the jumper.

* * *

"Hey, Ronon and Richards," Rodney shouted, taking the men away from helping Victoria set up her spot lights. "We need you guys to help pry the door open. The controls aren't responding to our genes."

Victoria felt anxiety go through her. Because the Sergeant and Ronon were going to be primarily responsible for the prying, her concern for the men made her speak up. "Is that a good idea, Doctor McKay? We should finish exploring this place to see if we can find runes or something. Maybe what you found doesn't open the door."

"I got a faint power reading when Sheppard and I pushed the door open a crack. With a bit more strength we can open it and see where it's coming from." He was obviously dismissing her cautionary voice.

His demeanor brought back a childhood memory. _Bees won't come out of the hive when it's raining_, Kyle had said before lifting the top of their neighbor's beehive, his voice full of a wonder like that of Doctor McKay. Fifty beestings helped Kyle learn not to open something if he didn't understand the consequences. _I hope we don't unleash a swarm of bees. _Victoria took a step back as Teyla stepped forward with her gun raised.

"I really think we should…"

"I'm not an idiot like Underhill," Doctor McKay responded, looking like he was talking to his mother who told him _no_. "I promise nothing bad'll happen this time."

* * *

Doctor McKay was partially right, they weren't _injured_ opening the door. Instead the roof doors closed and when they entered the new chamber, the door closed trapping Victoria, Richards, McKay and Sheppard. Teyla and Ronon were trapped in the outer chamber with the jumper.

The lights from the P90s and flashlights barely made a dent in the inky blackness around them. It took all of Victoria's might not to whimper and curl up in the corner. Dwayne stood by her side as she rummaged in her pack to find some glow sticks. Once she clipped one onto her jacket, the Sergeant took some out of his vest and put them around the room.

Once the initial panic of being in a dark place subsided and with Sheppard and McKay arguing heatedly about whose fault it was that all the doors closed, she looked around the room. Richards stayed close and, even though he never spoke a word, his presence was reassuring. The room was full of large crates that stood about three feet by three feet and were made of a similar material to storage boxes on Atlantis.

"All this stuff is Ancient, but the pyramid seems to be built by the indigenous people," Victoria said.

"The population must have found something the Ancients wanted," Richards stated.

"I thought you didn't talk with you were on duty unless it had to do with the mission?" she asked. The yellow glow sticks illuminated his face, which seemed to have softened since they were separated from the teammates near the door.

"Keeping you calm is good for the mission," he added.

"Where were you in my childhood?" she muttered and heard a chuckle from Dwayne.

* * *

Sergeant Richards, Doctor McKay and Colonel Sheppard were back at the door trying to get it open while Victoria attempted to see what the boxes might contain. She took out a brush and started gently sweeping dust off the top of the nearest box, trying to stay busy and not panic in the dark.

The light from her glow stick showed raised symbols on top. She grabbed her flashlight, which she had turned off to save the batteries, and shone it on the box. Seven symbols were imprinted on the top of the box. "Doctor McKay, you've got to see this," she shouted excitedly. Moving to another box, she swept it off as well and revealed the same characters.

"What?" he asked, puffing slightly from the manual labor at the door.

"Look at this." She aimed her flashlight beam at the box.

"A gate address!" McKay shouted and then took his sleeve to wipe off another box. "I recognize this address."

"What is it?" the Colonel asked.

A groan issued from her boss. "Oh, it can't be."

"What?" Sheppard snapped. "No way…" His voice trailed off too as he looked at the symbols. "I am _not_ going back there."

Victoria looked up at Master Gunny who walked over to stand next to her. "There are more crates on the other side."

"What do they say?" the Colonel asked.

"They contain the gate address for M7G677," he replied.

"Is there a reason the Ancients hate me?" Rodney looked up at the ceiling and pleaded into thin air.

"The kid planet?" Sheppard asked his Master Gunnery Sergeant. "That's weird."

"Not really. M7G677 is the only other planet with a Stargate so far from the main city. Whatever they did here could have been duplicated there," Victoria explained. "Now what address is this?"

The Colonel jumped in. "Those crates," he paused and motioned across the room, "are going to McKay's personal hell and these," he paused again, "are going to mine."

Victoria looked at Dwayne, who was looking amused, and bent slightly so he could quietly speak next to her ear. "M7X619 contains a primitive society ruled by a young queen who is enamored with Doctor McKay after passing over the Colonel," he whispered, his breath on her neck causing her to shiver and her mind to leave the dark, Ancient pyramid and wander somewhere it shouldn't.

"I wasn't passed over," Sheppard snapped.

"Can we never mention the _enamored_ with me part around Jennifer?" Rodney piped in.

TBC

* * *

**A/N:** **Thanks, Betherdy Babe, for reminding me of one of these planets.**


	18. Exploration

**A/N: I'm sorry to be slower, but last week gave me tons of real life stuff to deal with. Thanks to all the anonymous reviewers that I cannot reply to personally, I appreciate all of your feedback. **

**No beta so I'm sorry for any mistakes. Send me a PM if they are too glaring to enjoy the read.**

* * *

"So is this an Ancient post office?" Colonel Sheppard asked.

"It's some type of shipping center," Rodney added as he continued to dust off several boxes.

"Maybe there's something interesting in these crates?" Colonel Sheppard looked toward Victoria and Dwayne. "Why don't you see if any boxes are open because I don't want to open them if we don't have to? We have no idea what could be inside."

"But…" Rodney started.

"Don't start whining, McKay. We don't know what caused that power spike. It could be from a box." The Colonel sounded like Victoria's dad scolding her brothers.

She couldn't help smiling. _All men are like little boys._ When she turned to see Dwayne standing close by, his grey eyes assessing her, she corrected that thought. _Well, not all men._

She and Richards moved around the crates destined for M7G677 when Doctor McKay cried out. Richards moved close to Victoria and aimed his gun around the room.

"What is it, McKay?" Sheppard asked as he mimicked Richards' stance.

"I don't have any food." The physicist was moving his hands over all his pockets. "I had some in my pack, which is by the door mechanism in the _other_ room."

"One of these days I'm going to shoot you because of your stomach," John growled.

"Hey, if I don't eat…"

"Here you go, Doctor McKay," Richards said as a bar appeared in his hand and was tossed to the physicist.

Victoria was surprised at how quickly the Marine pulled it out of his vest. "This isn't my first trip with Doctor McKay," he said softly to her.

She smiled and turned to look at more crates as Rodney thanked Richards with half the bar in his mouth. Her stomach took that opportunity to remind her it had been some time since she ate as well. Another bar appeared just as quickly and caused her to chuckle. "I can see your hearing is excellent."

The Marine nodded and passed his light over the crates near their position. Victoria stuffed the bar in her pocket and walked toward a few crates that appeared to be taller than the ones around of them. Richards followed behind and Victoria couldn't help but feel fluttering in her stomach as she thought of how seriously he was guarding her. _He could watch me from any point in the room but he's actually following me around._

Just as a smile spread over her face, her boot caught on something and she fell forward. Once again the lightning reflexes of Master Gunny Richards saved her from falling on her face. "What the… T-thanks," she stammered. His arm had slid around her waist and pulled her back against him. Even with the tac vests between them, being held against his body was enough to cause a slight tremor to work its way down her spine.

"Everything okay?" the Colonel yelled over.

"Yes, sir. I-I just tripped…" She steadied herself, offered a smile and a mumbled _thank you _to Dwayne who nodded in return.

Victoria's flashlight shone over a raised part of the floor. "I wonder why this is here?" She was released from the grip Richards had on her and his light joined hers to brighten the area.

"And in the middle of the room," Richards replied. He moved around the area, which contained six crates like the others.

Victoria stepped up onto the platform and felt it move slightly. Grabbing a box for fear of the floor giving away beneath her, she immediately noticed something. "These boxes don't have any dust on them."

"Wha-?" McKay muttered finishing off his power bar as he came over.

"Will you stop talking with your mouth full," Sheppard scolded as he walked over too. All the convergent flashlight beams illuminated the crates containing markings for M7G677. "We should never take you out with new people." The Colonel glanced at Victoria and winked.

"These boxes don't have a layer of dust on them," Victoria repeated as she thought she felt the floor move again.

"Doctor Parker, get off of there." Dwayne's voice was firm and meant to be obeyed.

She quickly moved toward the edge and his hand grabbed her arm as soon as she got near, pulling her off to stand by his side. _The floor must've moved and he saw it. How does someone like that ever relax?_

"What's up, Master Gunny?" Sheppard asked.

"More for M7G-677," Rodney said, stepping onto the platform blatantly ignoring the cautious voice of Master Gunny Richards.

"Doctor…" Before Master Gunny could get any further, the platform dropped several inches below the floor level and McKay fell into the crates.

"Ah. Help me!" Richards and Sheppard converged on him and both grabbed an arm to pull him off the lowering floor.

"It's a lift!" Victoria shouted. She could see a faint light around the edge now that it was recessed in the floor. As she looked at the three men opposite her position she noticed Doctor McKay's scanner had lit up in his pocket. "Doctor McKay, your scanner's detecting something."

Rodney shrugged off the hands that pulled him up and took his handheld from the vest pocket. "Whoa. A power spike."

"Victoria, get back," Dwayne yelled as the soldiers and Doctor McKay did the same.

Having had one disastrous event happen to her on this planet already made her move back quickly to the wall. The platform didn't move anymore but Rodney's surprised expression told her that nothing had changed with regards to the reading.

"We must have activated the lift when we got here. Either the jumper entering the building or the doors closing." McKay moved to step back on the platform when Sheppard yanked him back.

"McKay!" his team leader shouted. "You have no clue where that goes."

Victoria stared at the men across from her and couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. When she was on the lift it barely moved but when Doctor McKay got on it lowered. "Master Gunny," she called and the Marine immediately started moving toward her. "I'm fine, but I had an idea. Can you step on the platform?"

Both Sheppard and McKay looked at her like there was something wrong with her. The light from their glow sticks and P90s caused an eerie shadowing over their faces.

"I'm not sending him to his death," she quipped.

"Doctor Parker must suspect it only reacts to gene-carriers, sir." Richards' explanation of what was going on in her head once again left her stunned with how well their minds were in sync._ I wonder if we'd always be in sync like that._ Once the thought flashed through her mind, a wave of heat rose up to darken her cheeks. Sincerely praying he really couldn't read her thoughts she shook her head to re-focus on the mission at hand. _I've never, ever fantasized while on the job. I must be hungry._

Richards stepped onto the platform and other than shifting a bit under his weight, it didn't move. Victoria let out a sigh of relief that her theory was correct.

"So why is this place locking us in?" Sheppard asked. "Once it detected our genes, it must have closed the roof door and then the other one too."

"Maybe it's trying to protect everyone else, sir," Richards offered as once again Victoria had come to the same conclusion.

A screeching sound from the other side of the room caused her and Doctor McKay to jump and the soldiers to swing their weapons toward the door.

A bright light shone through the crack forming. "Sheppard? McKay?" Ronon's voice echoed through the room. "The cavalry arrived."

"What?" Rodney snapped. "We just found something really important."

"Mister Woolsey sent Major Lorne's team as soon as we missed our dial-up," Teyla added. "They opened the roof door and when his jumper entered the temple, Ronon and I were able to push these doors open."

"Why did it react differently to our jumper than Lorne's?" Victoria muttered

"Because Lorne's opened the door," Richards said next to her side, appearing almost out of nowhere.

"And we basically broke in," she said with a smile after recovering from his sudden nearness.

"In a manner of speaking," he replied, his grey eyes flitting quickly over her before he turned to face the widening door and the lights of two jumpers, one on the ground and the other hovering.

"I think we should see where this goes first," McKay said as he stepped back onto the platform.

"McKay," Sheppard yelled and Richards immediately stepped onto the platform, which had started lowering with the physicist on it.

Victoria followed, jumping the few feet that had now formed between the receding platform and the floor. A hand grabbed her arm to steady her and narrowed eyes that would have made most men cower looked into her eyes.

Sheppard also jumped down to land next to his teammate. "Doctor Parker, I suggest for the future that you don't follow where McKay leads."

She couldn't respond to Richards' glare or Sheppard's scold. The goody-two-shoes had never done anything so rash in her life. Victoria blamed her budding over-confidence on getting along with the _Great_ Rodney McKay and successfully asking the angry Marine at her side out on a date. _I need to stay near him_, was all that went through her head when she acted, but she couldn't say that aloud.

* * *

The lift deposited them in a dimly lit room full of crates like the ones they had seen above; only most of these were empty. Victoria glanced around to see where the light was coming from and a greenish glow emanated from five open crates at the rear of the room.

"What's that?" Doctor McKay said as he walked toward one of them and stopped dead. "Whoa. Power spike."

"Better let Doctor Parker…" John stopped speaking, cleared his throat and offered an apologetic glance at her. "Uh, I mean, Master Gunny, check it out."

Victoria glanced at Dwayne, whose eye contact she avoided since the angry look after she jumped on the lift. "It might be glowing because of their ATA gene," she offered. The Marine nodded as she turned away from him to ask, "Doctor McKay, can I have your scanner?"

"You should wait here," Richards voice quietly rumbled from his chest with a sharp edge to it.

"I'll stay behind you," she replied, avoiding his eyes once again. Her department head relinquished his hand held scanner and had the expression of a boy being sent to detention. "Don't worry, Doctor McKay, I won't break it."

"He's pouting because he won't be the first one to see what's in the crate," the Colonel said with a chuckle.

Victoria stayed true to her word and stayed several feet behind Richards. The power readings had lowered since the two ATA carriers moved to the far side of the chamber. There were no fluctuations as she and Richards approached. The thought that the two of them were discovering something hidden for ten-thousand years made a warm feeling fill her and removed any guilt over jumping on the lift when she knew she shouldn't have.

A low whistle came from in front of her as Richards stood staring into a crate. "I think General O'Neill might want to kiss you when he hears about this."

"What?" She hurried forward to stand next to the big Marine and her eyes widened. "Oh my Lord. Are those…"

"Yes they are."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Let the swearing begin. Yes, it's been a while since an evil cliffhanger. If you've paid close attention you might have an idea of what's in the crate. **


	19. The Fights P1

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and the continued support for this story. Oh, **_**Strike Justice**_** got cliffhanger correct from last chapter. **

**Sorry for some potty-mouthed thoughts in this, but I'm staying in character.**

* * *

"Are they supposed to be green?" Victoria asked as she stared into a crate full of drones, like they used on Atlantis.

"No," Richards responded.

"Is what green?" Rodney asked. As he moved toward them the energy reading began to spike on the scanner.

"Stop!" Richards shouted as he turned toward the physicist.

"The drones are reacting to the proximity of a gene-carrier," Victoria surmised as the reading lowered when McKay moved back to the Colonel.

She had leaned close to Richards to see the screen on the scanner in his left hand. When she looked up she saw a raised brow. Victoria leapt back like she'd been scalded and her face was red like a lobster as she realized her chest was rubbing his forearm. "S-so-sorry," she stammered as she swiftly turned away from the Marine to compose herself and survey the room.

"So these crates are full of drones?" the Colonel asked, his eyes bright from across the room.

"I'm not sure…" She started only to be cut off by Ronon dropping a rope and repelling down before she could blink.

"Did you say drones?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes," Richards replied from immediately behind Victoria.

She was still breathing erratically from the knowledge that her breast was separated from his bare arm by a couple layers of fabric. _Having Richards stand close behind her didn't help her situation at all. I need to focus. What is happening to me? You'd think I've never liked a guy before. Well, not one as masculine and… male Dwayne._

"You really need to stop muttering under your breath, Doctor Parker," a deep voice said quietly into Victoria's left ear.

If it wasn't for the fact that he'd catch her, she knew she'd faint.

* * *

For the next four days Victoria managed to avoid almost everyone by burying herself in her work, including Master Gunny. It wasn't too hard because the drone discovery had the entire city in a celebratory mood. The military was ecstatic to refill the stockpiles of drones on Atlantis and Earth so the archaeologist who was along for the ride when they were discovered was forgotten. It suited her, fine as did the fact that Richards and the others were on security detail on the planet while the drones were removed.

The green drones had offered Radek and his team a wealth of knowledge about how they were constructed, which consumed Rodney's time as well. They hadn't been completed and it was determined-by the non-ATA gene carriers-that a control crystal was missing. The material inside was very volatile and highly reactive to the thoughts of Ancients. Radek explained at the morning department review that they were lucky that McKay's panic hadn't made the whole crate explode.

Victoria was more interested in where they were constructed, not how. Further analysis of the area surrounding the pyramid didn't reveal a drone factory. The ruins on M7G677 hadn't been thoroughly analyzed so a trip was being planned for the next week. The battle over who was going lasted the rest of the staff meeting and finally Rodney came in declaring that Radek and Victoria would choose whom they wanted. The curse words the Czech uttered after Rodney left made Victoria blush and she had no idea what he meant.

Victoria headed to her quarters and breathed a sigh of relief that Doctor McKay hadn't replaced her as lead archaeologist on the project while he was busy gloating over the find. She had to prepare a list of people to bring with them and had a couple names in mind. _I just need to ask them about spending time on the Kid Planet. _

"Long meeting?" a deep voice asked.

"Ah!" Victoria jumped and her laptop flew out of her hands to be captured in two strong hands.

"You need to pay better attention to your surroundings," Dwayne said. "I wasn't even in the shadows."

"You-you… I…" She stared into amused grey eyes. Dwayne was in his black BDUs but only wore a side arm, which denoted he was on duty but not guard duty. "You could have said something sooner when you saw I was preoccupied since you obviously read minds."

He smirked and nodded. "You are good at speaking your mind. I've got no reason to read it."

She felt her cheeks flush, as she hadn't been alone with him since she commented on his masculinity. "I thought you were a gentleman. You shouldn't tease me so much." Victoria crossed her arms and cocked her head.

"I guess Carter's rubbing off on me," he replied as he continued to hold her laptop. "I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize?" Victoria felt a lump in her throat. Today was Friday and they were supposed to go to the fights. _He's going to cancel._

"I won't be able to meet you for dinner before we go to the tournament. Your little jaunt to M7G677 takes on new meaning if there could be drones there. Colonels Sheppard and Caldwell want to discuss the security details. Since Colonel Sheppard is participating later, I don't think it will last beyond a couple of matches."

"Dinner?"

"You weren't planning on eating with me before hand?" It was his turn to cross his arms and cock his head to the side.

"Of course. I just didn't think we were eating… together, that's all," she replied, her voice lowering.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I haven't forgotten that we need to share a meal. Have you?"

Her mouth opened, but she bit her tongue this time as a voice in her head screamed, _Of course I haven't forgotten. I've just been too embarrassed to be drooling over you like I hate other people doing. _"Th-thanks for stopping by," she stammered.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he said with a smile toying at the corners of his mouth. He held out her laptop, which he'd been holding the entire time.

"Okay. I'll save you a seat," she said, returning his smile. Her body was vibrating from the intensity of his look. Something about having this stoic warrior smile and act… _normal_ around her was unnerving. She took her laptop and thanked him before going into her quarters.

The little girl who loved fairytales noticed he didn't leave until her door closed securely behind her. Flopping on the bed she let out a sigh and then a groan. _What am I going to wear?_

* * *

Victoria entered the crowded gymnasium on the barracks level. Her stomach was on the verge of revolting from nerves. She hadn't told anyone she was going to this and with Master Gunny as well. _What is everyone going to say?_ _What are Heather and Elisa going to say about me having a date with the mysterious and dangerous Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards. _

"Doctor Parker?" a dark haired man called to her.

She looked closely to see it was Sergeant Chris Raven. "I didn't recognize you in civilian clothes." The Marine was dressed in a white oxford shirt and jeans, making him stand out in a sea of blue and black t-shirts. "Aren't you fighting?"

"N-no," he said, his green eyes drifting around the crowd. "I… I twisted something in my leg. Need to take it easy for a few days." His face flamed red as he turned and motioned to some seats in front. "What are you doing here? You look great by the way, hard to recognize as well."

His genuine smile made Victoria feel a bit more at ease. The pink sweater and khakis were casual, but not as relaxed as most in the room. _It screams date._ "Thank you. I feel weird being out of uniform."

"Why is that?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room. "Trying to catch someone's eye?"

"N-no." It was her turn to glow red and stammer. "How did you hurt your leg? Was it at the site?" She tried to change the topic. _._

"No. I've had some time off this past week."

"Because of your…" Victoria stopped talking as her eyes widened. "Never mind." She held up her hands quickly. "I don't want to know."

He chuckled. "There're a couple seats up front."

"I-I'll stay here," she said.

"Do you have a date?" he asked, his voice taking on a strange tone.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because you're acting like my little sisters do when they're hiding a new boyfriend from me. I have three, by the way, so I do know what I'm talking about." His entire demeanor changed, he stood up tall, put his hands on his hips and glared around the room.

"First, I'm not on a date." _Not a total lie. He's not here yet so this is technically not a date. _"And second, even if I was I don't think I need your permission."

"Warry," he shouted to the large Sergeant who was in a black martial arts gi.

"Doctor Parker, you look real nice," the Bermudan said when he jogged over.

"Doctor Parker seems to think she can go on a date without us knowing about it," Raven said, crossing his arms and taking on the pose of a protective older brother.

"A date?" Carter's voice chimed in. "Dusty, did you know our little Victoria has a date?"

Victoria felt eyes staring at her as a crowd of Marines all but one dressed for the tournament crowded around her. "I'm not on a date," she hissed between clenched teeth. "I realize I told you guys you were like my brothers, but this is ridiculous."

"Okay, Victoria, here's the problem. We have to deal with the aftermath of your little date," Dusty said, her eyes had a sadness in them that Victoria noticed immediately.

She ignored the guys and looked at her friend. "Dusty…"

"Attention," Mister Woolsey's voice echoed over the PA. "Could we have all participants take their places around the mats? I'd like to ask all viewers to find a seat. I'll be turning this over to Major Lorne who's going to be the announcer for the rest of this tournament. I want to remind everyone that the main purpose of this is to demonstrate different fighting styles. While there will be a winner, there should be no betting on the outcome."

A massive groan filled the gym and Mister Woolsey made a calming gesture.

"Come on," Raven said. "Sit with me until he gets here."

Victoria was furious at the intrusion into her personal life, but realized they were only looking out for her wellbeing. A part of her always wanted her brothers to be there when she was going on a date. _I'm sure they would have kept me from dating that creep in grad school. _"Fine, but if he doesn't want to sit up front, we're moving," she hissed, crossing her arms and walking in front of Chris to several seats next to the mats.

* * *

Sergeant Will Carter was pissed. While he was babysitting scientists, Raven was on vacation with his girlfriend and Warrington and Dusty protecting the drones, someone moved in on Victoria. Will love to rile up Richards every chance he got but he loved the Master Gunny like a wise older brother. The fact that the Marine finally had a girl catch his eye wasn't anything to take lightly. A pact was formed between the four Marines to ensure nothing went wrong for their Master Gunny's foray into romance.

Carter's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the crowd. Major Lorne waved at Victoria._ No, Doctor Simpson'll tear off his balls and put them in a jar._

Colonel Sheppard entered the gym and walked over to say _hello_ to Victoria_. I can't believe it's the Colonel. Victoria is way too sweet for his tastes._

His eyes continued their journey around the room. He saw a lot of scientists, technicians and soldiers glancing at the archaeologist dressed in a light pink sweater and khaki pants. She looked like a sweet schoolteacher. Will growled when he finally noticed the Satedan. Ronon had joined Sheppard and was smiling down at Victoria.

When he sat next to Raven, Will clenched his fists. Ronon wasn't participating this year and now Carter knew why. _Sonofabitch. He's doing this to get Gunny to fight him without holding back. Well, Gunny'll bring it and a whole lot more._

"Our first participants, which are selected randomly by a program developed by Doctor Zelenka…" Cheers from the scientists resulted in a red-faced Czech being forced to stand and bow interrupted Major Lorne, "Our first participants are Sergeant Will Carter, USMC and Sergeant Dusty Mehra, also USMC."

A roar issued from the crowd and Will saw Victoria say something to Raven, who only nodded. Raven was in his protection mode so his green eyes constantly surveyed the crowd.

Any other time Will would be thrilled at the prospect of grappling on a mat with Dusty, but not while concerned for his friends the Master Gunny and Victoria. As he walked out into the middle to face off against Dusty he saw she was equally distracted and surveying the crowd in case it wasn't Ronon who she was dressed up for.

Major Lorne talked about fair fights and asked them to shake hands. They were both martial artists and had chosen to fight without weapons so it was going to be fists and feet.

"I'll be gentle with you," Carter added as he gave her hand a squeeze. A wink and sly smirk spread over his face because there was no way he'd be across from this beauty without being affected.

"Like hell and looks like show time," she muttered, nodding toward the door before she let go of his hand.

Carter glanced at the entrance and saw Master Gunny enter in… _civilian clothes?_ The big Marine had on a dark blue button-down shirt and jeans. _Gunny owns jeans?_

"Ready," Lorne shouted as he stepped off to the side.

Carter saw Master Gunny making a beeline for Victoria in the front row. _Show time indeed. Ronon's…_ Carter's eyes widened as Victoria smiled at Richards when he sat next to her. They turned to look at Will; Richards flinched, Victoria's hand covered her mouth and Will felt something hard hit the back of his head. And then darkness descended.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Sorry to the real Sgt Raven that I didn't find out if you ever wear white ;-)**


	20. The Fights P2

**A/N: Check out my new avatar courtesy of **_**Ladygris**_**. It's Victoria and Gunny just for all of you! **_**Ladygris**_**, you did an awesome job. And thanks to all the readers and reviewers, I love to hear from you.**

**Thank you, **_**Betherdy**_** Babe, for your beta work once again.**

* * *

Victoria gasped as she watched Dusty's foot connect with the back of Carter's head and drop him on the spot. "Oh no." Her hand flew to her mouth as she watched Dusty and the medical team rush to the Sergeant's side.

"Dammit, Will, what the hell were you thinking?" Dusty growled at him as she fell to her knees next to him. "You better not have let me win."

Doctor Keller was next to him along with a large male nurse, who rolled him over carefully after her quick exam and put smelling salts under his nose. Dusty was kneeling next to him the entire time and when her eyes caught Victoria's, she looked scared.

Victoria smiled, trying to say _He'll be okay_ with her look. She noticed how quiet it was until everyone saw Carter cough and sputter after Doctor Keller waved the smelling salts under his nose.

Richards and Ronon both got up from their seats and went to help Carter to his feet. He staggered a bit and grumbled when Jennifer pointed to the medical area. Everyone cheered and Major Lorne turned to Chuck, who put on some heart-pounding stadium-rock music, before the next pair was selected.

"Idiot," Raven muttered under his breath.

"Did he let her win?" Victoria asked.

"No." Raven shook his head and looked at her. "But he's going to blame you for this."

"Me?" she questioned, pointing to her chest.

"You could've said you had a date with Gunny," he accused.

"I honestly didn't think it was any of your business," Victoria replied.

* * *

After two matches, the music in the gymnasium suddenly switched to an old song from the 80's, _Bang Your Head_ by Quiet Riot. Raven's laughter caused Victoria to follow his gaze.

Sergeant Carter returned, bowed to the crowd as they cheered and then flashed the one-fingered salute to Chuck, who bowed in his seat. Carter then blew a kiss at Dusty, who only glared at him across the mats.

Ronon continued around the mats to stand with Colonel Sheppard, who was seated with a redheaded female Marine that Victoria didn't recognize. Carter and Master Gunny came to sit with Victoria and Raven.

"You could've said it was Richards. You didn't have to be so secretive," Carter sniped to her. "_I'm not on a date_," he attempting to mimic Victoria's tone. "You realize Master Gunny probably killed someone for those jeans."

"Do I need to call Mehra over here to put you down again, Carter?" Gunny asked as he took his seat next to Victoria. He cocked a brow, but had an expression on his face that Victoria had never seen before.

She'd seen him upset on the firing range at the rude behavior of the Marine in the cage and he growled at Carter often but this was different. There was intensity in his steely gaze that made her pause.

"No," Carter said, his voice without its normal swagger. He winked at Victoria and headed over to where Dusty, Sergeant Davids and Warrington were waiting for their names to be called.

"What did that look mean?" Victoria asked quietly. "It's like you… like you sucked the air out of him."

"I told him if he doesn't knock it off, _I'd_ put him down."

Victoria's eyes widened. "Oh. He's not really a bother…"

Richards leaned closer, his long, hard thigh pressing against hers and said, "And now he won't be."

His gaze was cool, but Victoria couldn't help but feel heat flood her face just as Lorne called the next two contestants.

* * *

Richards got up to get some drinks because it was getting hot in the gym. When he returned he continued to tell her about each person and their fighting styles for. His knowledge of everyone on the base made her think of how much she knew about people in high school and college. _Only everyone knows who he is and no one remembers me._

Victoria found out the redheaded Marine was Lieutenant Laura Cadman and fought using taekwondo against Amelia Banks, who was a kick boxer. After a long match, Amelia won, and received a pat on the shoulder from Ronon once she left the mats. Dwayne said Cadman from the _Daedalus_ was once based on Atlantis and had an incident with Doctor McKay.

"That's why Doctor Keller was pissed when she treated her," Victoria added. The CMO barely looked at the woman and seemed to roughly put a bandage on her arm.

"Doctor Keller can hold a grudge with the best of them," the Marine chuckled.

"More of Doctor McKay's influence?" Victoria asked.

Dwayne smiled at her. "You catch on quick." He lifted his beer to drink, his arm brushing against hers.

"Must be your influence." Her face flamed from her bold words and the contact with his arm so she took a drink quickly to save herself from explaining her comment.

"The next two participants are Colonel Sheppard and," Major Lorne paused, "Doctor Simpson."

"Doctor Simpson is a solid black belt, but the Colonel trains daily with Ronon and Teyla," Dwayne explained. He made it a point of leaning close to explain things to her with his leg or arm brushing hers. The Marine exerted just enough pressure to throw her composure out the window and turn her into the very thing she hated to see from her female friends-a blushing, giggling, totally smitten _girl_.

"Major Lorne doesn't look too happy." Victoria noticed how the handsome Major paused before reading Pamela's name.

"I couldn't do it," Dwayne muttered close to her ear, causing a now familiar feeling to flow through her at the sound of his voice.

"_What_?" she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. It was hard not to give in to the shiver that his voice sent through her. "You can't beat the Colonel?"

"I've beaten the Colonel often," he replied without a touch of arrogance in his voice. "I meant I couldn't watch my girlfriend fight."

"Really? I thought you'd like a girl who could stand up for herself?" Victoria exclaimed. Her disbelief that he could possibly be interested in her was primarily based on the fact that she wasn't tough; she was incapable of doing more than run away from a potential attacker.

Dwayne offered his half-smile. "Standing up for yourself and fighting are two different things."

Victoria mimicked one of his patented eyebrow lifts as she tried to give him an annoyed look. "Wouldn't you want _your theoretical girlfriend_ to defend herself if someone attacked her?"

The way his body momentarily stiffened and his eyes shifted to see Sheppard take a hit from Pamela, Victoria realized she touched onto something _difficult_ for him to deal with. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't…"

"You're right," he commented, his eyes still focused on the match. The Colonel was obviously holding back as his 2IC watched his girlfriend fight his CO. "Everyone should be able to defend themselves."

Victoria had no clue what upset him, but it had to do with her recent comments. _Did he have a girlfriend who got hurt once? One he couldn't protect?_

"Ouch," Raven said from the other side.

Victoria had been listening to everything that Dwayne said and forgot that Chris was even there. Her eyes snapped up to see Pamela go down hard. Her friend was slow to move as Sheppard knelt down next to her.

Without being asked, Master Gunny was up and on the mat along with Doctor Keller. Major Lorne obviously wanted to run out and only nodded at his CO who apologized for the hard hit.

* * *

Pamela was taken to the medical area with Dwayne's help. Victoria felt pride that her date cared so much about everyone who was fighting. There was a young male Air Force Sergeant who was flattened immediately by Sergeant Shyan Davids and Master Gunny was quick to help him get off the mat. _Even off duty, he cares about everyone. It's not just his job that makes him do what he does.  
_

The stunned surprise from the young Air Force Sergeant when he looked up to see Master Gunny Richards helping him the mat wasn't lost on Victoria. The archaeologist couldn't keep a smile off her face. The protectiveness of everyone on base that Richards showed made her admire him more and more each day.

"You're so nice," she said quietly when Dwayne returned.

He turned and fixed her with an angry look. "Wanna rephrase that?" He moved in a way so that his body seemed to crowd hers more than before.

"Nope," she said as she leaned close so she was pressing her arm and thigh against his for a change. "But your secret's safe with me."

"Better keep you away from General O'Neill," Dwayne replied. He leaned close enough for his breath to feather her hair. "And if you tell, I'll make you train with someone a lot tougher than Dusty."

"_Train_?"

"You convinced me it's good for you to learn how to defend yourself," he said and sat back to observe Warrington face a scientist that Victoria recognized as an engineer that had once served in the Marines.

Before she could say anything about having no time for self-defense her slow brain caught up her. _Defend myself?_ The conversation about _girlfriends_ came to mind silencing Victoria. Her mind couldn't even comprehend what it would mean to be Dwayne's girlfriend.

* * *

As the fights progressed, they had gotten more and more fierce. Ronon, Carter and Richards were often helping combatants up from the end of matches and in a couple cases, during as well. At one point Major Marks, from the _Daedalus,_ was knocked back by Dusty to be caught by Richards, preventing him from landing on Victoria.

The matches continued until six were left: three women, Sergeant Shyan Davids, Amelia Banks and Sergeant Dusty Mehra and three men, Colonel Sheppard, Kanaan, the only Athosian competing, and Sergeant Warrington. Because it was late in the evening, Mister Woolsey called the matches and said they would finish them the next week.

As they waited to leave, she smiled and patted his forearm, which was warm to the touch and uncovered because his sleeves had been rolled up. "You've done nothing this evening to make me change my earlier comment," she said, finding it impossible not to tease him.

"Then Dusty's out as a trainer," he said, fighting a smile.

"Teyla?"

"Nope."

"Major Lorne?" She had an idea of what name he was going to say, but decided to drag it out.

"No." He stood and offered his hand to help her up.

"Too bad. He's cute," she said quietly before she put her small hand into his.

A feeling like electricity tingled up her arm and caused new sensations to fire throughout her body. Her breath caught and the feeling she went too far crossed her mind. He released her hand after he pulled her to her feet. "_Cute_? We'll see how cute he is after I train with him."

Victoria suddenly laughed. She couldn't imagine stoic Richards being this… _charming_ on a date. "You are _not_ beating up your immediate CO because I said he's cute. You'd never be jealous of that."

"_Really_?" He motioned for her to walk alongside as they followed everyone out. His hand settled at the small of her back while they moved through the crowd.

"You're too confident for that. You'd never fear losing your date to a flyboy with dimples," she said.

"True. But not so sure about one with messy hair," he added.

Victoria stared with an open mouth before she started laughing. "Wouldn't General O'Neill keep you from being court-martialed for taking down the _Great_ Colonel Sheppard?"

"Yes, but then I'd have to fight Ronon."

"You're not scared of fighting him are you?" Victoria glanced around the corridor outside the gym to see the Satedan smiling with Amelia Banks.

"Might ruin my _nice_ reputation," he said as he guided her to the transporter with a hand on the small of her back once again.

Once gain Victoria giggled and finally gave up. She'd spent her life looking down at woman who got caught up with a man and changed, but there was no way should couldn't feel on top of the world with the attention of Master Gunny Richards directed fully at her for an evening. _Maybe everyone will be too afraid of him to mention it to tomorrow?_

* * *

Victoria's heart raced as they neared her door. _Is he going to kiss me?_ She desperately wanted him to after fantasizing about it for the last week.

When they arrived at her door, she turned to look up into grey eyes that had darkened like the sky with an approaching storm. "I had a wonderful night," she said softly.

Dwayne smiled as he stepped closer to her. "I did too. Seeing Carter get flattened by Dusty was an added bonus that I wasn't expecting."

Victoria laughed and clasped her hands together in front of her to keep from grabbing his shirt and yanking him down to her height. The desire to be forward was as foreign to her as Atlantis would be to her family. "She wasn't either."

The Marine took one more step closer causing Victoria to tilt her head back so she could see his eyes. He placed a hand on the door on either side of her at shoulder height and leaned close.

A scent that Victoria knew to be Dwayne's assaulted her and, without any thought, her hands moved to rest on his shoulders. The warmth he radiated could keep a woman warm on the coldest of nights. Her breath hitched as his face moved closer to her own. She closed her eyes and waited for the first touch of his mouth to hers. His breath caressed her cheek near her right ear. The desire thrumming through her body was more intense than anything she'd ever experienced. _He hasn't even kissed me yet._

"Granny Richards would come back from the grave and kick my ass if I kissed a lady on the first date." He was so close and her hands were resting on his upper chest so his voice rumbled through her body. "You'll have to wait for the next one."

He pulled back, taking her hands in his and pressing a gentle kiss to each hand on her knuckles before releasing them. "Good night, Victoria. I really had a wonderful time." He stepped back and waited for her to go into her room.

"Uh… Um… M-me too. It was a-a great time." She could barely speak or move. The feel of his body so close and then gone suddenly left her shaken. "G-good night, Dwayne."

Once the door closed behind her, she leaned against it and slid to the floor in her semi-darkened room. _I wonder if cold showers really work_, she thought as the desire to chase him back to the barracks nearly sent her flying down the corridor.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Come on, who really thought a gentleman like Gunny would kiss on the first date? **


	21. A Mission

**A/N: Sorry for the delays. I had some RL issues last week. Thanks for the continued interest and support of this story. No beta so mistakes are all mine. **

* * *

"Attention, all non-essential personnel please remain in your quarters," Chuck's voice came over the PA to awaken Victoria from a _distracting_ dream. "I repeat all non-essential personnel please remain in your quarters."

During her six months on Atlantis she'd become used to drills all the time. _Mister Woolsey loves to keep everyone on their toes. _She reluctantly pushed her comforter off and walked to her desk. "Cold showers don't work. I should have known it," she grumbled to herself as she sat down, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Once her laptop powered up she saw a bunch of emails from Doctor Sidorov and some meeting requests with Woolsey, Zelenka, McKay and Sheppard. _That must be about the M7G677 trip._

She scrolled through her Inbox and stopped when Dwayne's email address popped up. Victoria couldn't control her racing heart and with a big grin, she opened the email with a subject line of _This evening?_

_Victoria, _

_Baring the usual crap Pegasus throws our way, do you want to meet for dinner?_

_Dwayne_

Victoria was beaming and shouted _Absolutely,_ before typing a quick reply and mentioning the drill in her text. She was surprised when her email got held up from being sent. Dismissing it as Doctor McKay running one of his _performance-enhancing_ programs, which always make Elisa and Heather's life a mess, she headed for the shower. _A warm one this time._

* * *

Several hours later after a few more announcements about remaining in your designated areas, the email system started working again. Victoria was glad she had food in her quarters and plenty of things to read without the network, but she was still going stir crazy. Her first message was off to Doctor Sidorov to find out what had happened.

After several minutes of waiting, he replied to say there was something going on in the solar system that required the city to cloak. With the _Daedalus_ at the planet with the drones for protection of that operation, Atlantis needed to be extra cautious. He'd tell her more if he was made aware of it.

* * *

No one was allowed out of his or her quarters for another three hours in which time Victoria felt sick to her stomach. She knew somewhere in the city Dwayne and her friends were on alert guarding the most important parts of Atlantis: chair room, weapons storage, generators and main tower. A feeling of something horrible hanging over the city went through her as she tried to focus on information about excavations on M7G677.

* * *

When everyone was finally allowed to leave their quarters, there was a silence pervading the city. Victoria was greeted with tight smiles and nods from all the soldiers she saw in the corridors-and there were a lot of them. None of her friends were among them and by the time she got to the mess hall she thought everyone had been avoiding her. She almost called Dwayne on her earwig, but knew that would be ridiculous. _He's busy and you have a job to do too. _

Looking around the nearly vacant mess hall, she heard her name being called in back of the serving line. She turned and saw Master Sergeant Dixon motioning to her.

"Master Sergeant," she started.

"They all shipped out a while ago. I had to do a big emergency pack of food for a couple of days. No clue where they went, but I heard from Sergeant Campbell they went to the jumper bay," he said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Should you be telling me this?" Her eyes widened and she looked around. A part of her was relieved to know where Dwayne was but another shocked that a veteran soldier would reveal this to her.

"No one told me this was top secret. The way I see it, I tell you and you tell your boyfriend I helped you feel better, so he'll go lax on all his damned training," he said with a gruff laugh. "If you want anything special to eat, you let me know." Master Sergeant Dixon winked and smiled before heading back into the kitchen.

Victoria made her way to the balcony in stunned silence. She was absolutely certain that the Air Force Master Sergeant wasn't supposed to let her know what he did. Knowing that her boyfriend would be pissed instead of thankful, she tucked the information and who gave it to her away. As she raised her forkful of salad to her lips she stopped. _Boyfriend? Could Dwayne be my boyfriend after one date?_

Glancing up, she saw people look quickly away before she caught their eyes. _Oh no._ Her worst fear was being realized. She was no longer an unknown member of the archaeology department on Atlantis; she was most likely the most gossiped about woman on the base. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she got up and went to see the Master Sergeant about getting her food to go.

* * *

The next morning she was awoken once again by Chuck. This time he was calling for all off-duty medical personnel and anyone with first responder training as well as all jumper pilots to report to the jumper bay. Fear stabbed through her heart as she sat up in bed. Never before had such a call come in while she was on Atlantis, but she'd heard stories from Heather and the others about them in the past.

Finding her earwig, she attempted to call Heather only to find that the system was down except for emergency communications. Her friends were nowhere to be found the day before, not that she looked too hard. They had to be furious she didn't confide in them about her date with Dwayne. Victoria really didn't know what to do about it. She decided to avoid them until she could talk to Dwayne and find out exactly what they _were_ before talking about her relationship with anyone else.

She made her way to the mess hall to find barely anyone present, even the Master Sergeant wasn't present. Victoria grabbed her food and headed to the balcony where she saw several jumpers leave the tower and fly out toward the ocean. She realized that they were heading away from the mainland and wondered if something else had been found on the ocean floor. _But why the medical call out?_ _Jumpers can fly underwater so it couldn't be a jumper accident._

Realizing that she was too upset to eat anything she started getting out of her seat when she got a call from Radek. "Go ahead, Doctor Zelenka."

"Where are you?" he asked in a clipped tone unlike anything she heard before.

"In the mess hall. Why?" she asked. "Is something..."

"I'm on my way."

* * *

Radek found an anxious woman in the mess hall so he quickly led her to the infirmary. There had been an accident, which he couldn't give her all the details of, and the injured, including Master Gunny Richards, were being treated in the infirmary. Too stunned to do anything more than follow him, she tried to empty her mind and put one foot in front of the other.

Once in the infirmary, he led her to an area in the back. On the way she passed Dusty with her leg in a cast, Carter in the next bed with his arm in a cast and Raven who didn't seem to have any broken limbs. They were all asleep with Warrington sitting on a chair outside the last curtained area as a silent sentinel over his injured teammates. He got up once a male doctor stepped out.

"Sergeant, he needs to get some sleep," the doctor with a brogue said to Victoria's friend.

She and Radek stopped slightly behind Warrington. When the man saw them, he smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, and stepped over. "Doctor Parker, I'm Doctor Carson Beckett. It's very nice to meet you, love." He put out a hand and Victoria shook it, her eyebrows rising.

"N-nice to meet you too," she replied. The archaeologist heard stories about the Scottish doctor's clone but had yet to meet him.

"I know you want to see him and maybe you'll get him to stay in bed." The Scotsman smiled. "He's got a nasty bump on his forehead, a couple of cracked ribs and a laceration on his leg, which he should stay off of for a couple of days."

Victoria had no idea why Doctor Beckett was speaking to her like she was supposed to make him stay off his feet, but she nodded. "Of course."

"I'll give you about ten minutes, but then he needs to sleep."

"O-okay," Victoria said with a slight smile. Her eyes flashed between Robert Warrington and the doctor, Radek had made his exit once he delivered her.

"He'll be fine," Warrington said. "He a tough old Marine. This won't get him down."

"I'm glad you're okay." She assessed her friend and saw only slight swelling around his right eye.

"Thanks to Master Gunny." He nodded to the curtain. "I know he'll be happy to see you."

"Go on, love," Carson said, motioning for her to enter.

* * *

Victoria took a shaky step into the recovery area with curtains surrounding three sides and the head of the bed pushed back against the wall. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the bandage taped to Dwayne's head above his left eye. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. For the first time in two days she was finally able to acknowledge the emotions that were buried beneath the surface. Unable to stop her feet from carrying her to the side of the bed, she let a few tears of fear escape her eyes.

"Don't cry. I've been in far worst shape than this," the deep voice that came to mean security and peace for her rumbled from his chest. His lips turned up slightly and grey eyes assessed her.

Incapable of keeping her tears in check after finding out the danger he'd been in recently, she let out a sob as she moved closer and took his hand in her own. His hand was so much larger than hers and warm to the touch. The contact made her never want to let it go.

Without any thought she pulled his left hand to her face. His fingers moved to cup her cheek and he shifted so he could reach up with his right hand. A slight narrowing of his eyes was the only outward sign that something hurt when he moved.

"No!" she shouted. "Your ribs."

"Victoria…" he started only to be cut off by Victoria leaning forward and pressing her lips to his.

She couldn't stand him being concerned about her. _He's the one who was injured, yet he's putting himself in pain to comfort me. _His sense of honor and gentlemanly nature drove her to take the initiative for the first time in her life. When her innate uncertainty with men took over it was too late. It was her intention to give him a quick kiss and pull away. As she tried to pull back from the contact, she was met with an immovable force.

The arms and hands of Dwayne Richards weren't going to let her go. His right arm slid around her waist, tugging her into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. His left hand slid into her hair and gently tilted her head so he could take control of the kiss.

His lips moved with deliberate gentleness and barely controlled passion at the same time. Victoria's hands slid over well-formed muscles on his arms and wrapped themselves around his neck. As the kiss intensified he took advantage of a whimper, which parted her lips, to invade her mouth. All sense of time vanished as she gave herself willingly to the man who'd staked a claim on her guarded heart.

Victoria didn't back down and felt a thrill go through her when she heard Dwayne moan at her tongue's first foray into his mouth. Realizing she could affect a hardened warrior with such a little action, she grew emboldened and leaned against him further to maintain the heated contact.

If someone would have told her a month ago that she would be locked in a passionate embrace with one of the most feared men on the base, the meek woman would have laughed. Yet, here she was making out with him in the infirmary with only a curtain between them and his Marines. Not that any of those thoughts penetrated her mind. All Victoria was aware of was that she felt alive and treasured. Years of being in the background were over because this man put her front and center on a pedestal and it felt liberating.

Victoria wanted nothing more than to continue to feel that way, so she shifted and pulled her knees up on the bed. She felt herself being tugged across Dwayne's lap as the hand in her hair continued to tilt her head.

If she could think, the idea that Victoria Parker would be sitting on a man's lap and kissing him for all she was worth would have embarrassed her to death. It wasn't until her hands began to move over his chest, pressing and squeezing the muscles she felt that her bliss was interrupted. No amount of strength could keep her from being pushed back by the man she desperately wanted to keep kissing. "No. Don't stop," she growled as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his chin.

A deep rumble could be felt through her chest so her eyes snapped open. Dwayne was smiling and his eyes were darker than a storm on the plains where he grew up. "Victoria, we're in the infirmary. Doctor Keller would never let Doctor Beckett back in her infirmary if he let this go on under his watch." The merry look about his face seemed to pull her back to reality.

Her eyes widened as she realized she was sitting across his lap with one hand clutching a well-muscled shoulder and the other hand twisted in the fabric of his hospital gown. "I…" Her cheeks reddened as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I got carried away, but I haven't had a beautiful woman kiss me in longer than I can remember," he confessed, his arms encircling her waist so she couldn't move off him or the bed.

"N-no," she said, horrified at her actions. "I should-I shouldn't have… I mean I…"

"Victoria, I think we both wanted that," he said with a smile.

"Well, that's one way to keep him in bed. Not the one I had in mind, but it seems to be working," Carson's amused brogue stated from behind her.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: You wanted it so I gave it to you. I was not going to have this happen for weeks from now, but I need to repay you for not killing me after the last chapter. This chapter works around the episode _Infection_ if you are wondering where Gunny and his boys went.**

_**Ellathiacroft**_**, Hope you enjoy the final line ;-)**


	22. Aftermath

**A/N: Thank you for that awesome response to the last chapter especially to the anonymous reviewers! No beta so mistakes are mine. **

* * *

Dwayne held Victoria firmly against him after Carson left. He chuckled because she buried her head against his shoulder. "Victoria," he said, his hand gently kneading the back of her neck. "_Victoria_?"

"I wanna die," her muffled voice said. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and sat rigidly across his lap.

"That's something I won't allow," he said in a reassuring voice. After a few moments of holding her, he spoke again, "Contrary to a _popular_ misconception, I cannot read minds."

Victoria couldn't keep a smile off her face at the comment. Her face burned as if she had severe sunburn. "How can I ever face him again?"

"Doctor Beckett's not here that often."

"Great!" Victoria shook her head against his muscular shoulder. "I'll be the laughing stock of…"

"No one is going to laugh or tell stories about you," Dwayne said with a different tone. The humor of moments before was gone, replaced with a fierceness that caused her to lift her head and look into dark grey eyes. "I can assure you the guys haven't heard a thing."

Her eyes widened further so they were as big as a robin's egg. "_Heard_?" she spoke the word in a whisper after realizing they hadn't been whispering. Burying her head once again, she stammered against his hospital gown, "I-I-I've never kissed anyone in this situation before. It's-it's just that you… you made me mad." She lifted her head to stare into his eyes and tried to ignore the smile playing at his lips. "I realized that you almost died and I should be doing whatever I can to make you feel better..."

"Which you did," he interrupted with a half-smirk and raised brow.

She growled and pushed back a bit further. "And you," she stabbed his other shoulder with her finger, "were only concerned about me being upset."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"N-no. I just… I…" Victoria wasn't sure how to finish the conversation. Her only dating occurred in graduate school with a Postdoctoral Fellow who needed to hide their relationship-if it could be called that-because he wasn't supposed to date students. Their brief time together never involved deep conversations and the few sloppy kisses left Victoria feeling anxious instead of aroused like this one. For the first time in her life she was totally out of her element.

Dwayne sensed something was wrong and loosened his grip so she could move into a sitting position facing him on the bed. "I'm sorry I got carried away."

"It's my fault too. I could have stopped you," she said, braving the flush on her face to look into his eyes.

"Yes, you could have." He looked directly into her eyes as if trying to tell her something.

Unfortunately her observational skills were lacking at the moment, so she only nodded and tried to smile. "I should go. I've got an early meeting tomorrow."

"Victoria," he shifted, wincing from his ribs.

"Oh no!" she said loudly as she hopped off the bed. "I made it worse, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't," he replied. He shifted to face her more fully and took her hand in his. "Victoria, I would never hurt you."

"I know that." She was confused by the intensity of his look. If he were any other man she's think he was nervous. _What could he be nervous about? _"I'm not afraid of you. Is that what you think?" His face still looked skeptical so she squeezed his hand with both of hers. "I…" _How do I say this?_ "I've never been this…um… this uh…" _You've humiliated yourself so better lay it all out._ "I've never been attracted to a man like you. Guys like-like… Doctor Zelenaka are more my style."

"Old and difficult to understand?"

"No," she said loudly and then quieted her voice once more. "I mean… not so… so…"

"_Masculine_?"

"Are you ever going to let me off the hook for that?" she hissed.

"You're too good for my ego." He finally smiled once more. "Doctor Beckett is going to be back, so you better go." Dwayne took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Sweet dreams, Victoria."

Wanting a goodbye kiss, but knowing that Dwayne was being responsible, she squeezed his hand and reluctantly turned to leave. "I've got an early meeting, but will stop by after that."

"Can't wait," he smiled as his eyes followed her until she left.

"I'll walk you to your quarters, Doctor Parker," Warrington's deep voice from the opposite side of the room made her jump.

"That's not…"

"Yes, it is," he interrupted and motioned for her to walk with him out the door.

* * *

The next morning Sergeant Warrington met Victoria again. How he knew about her rescheduled meeting with Doctor Zelenka and Mister Woolsey was beyond her. "Why the escort?" she asked. "Are you going offworld with me?"

"No," he said. "I've got an assignment here."

"It better not be watching over me," she stated to her friend as they headed toward the transporter.

"I'm sorry but it's need to know and…"

"I don't need to know," Victoria finished with a smile. "So why the escort? Or do you enjoy my company so much?"

"I do enjoy your company," he said, his white teeth contrasting with his dark face. "But we need to be extra cautious…"

His arm suddenly flew in front of her and bodily pushed her behind him as the transporter doors opened, revealing a Wraith.

Victoria gasped and grabbed Robert's arm. She'd never seen one, but the photos she had seen didn't look like this one. He was very tall and dressed in a black floor-length jacket. The Wraith was shackled and looked like it could barely stand. His hair hung over his face but Victoria saw his unblinking reptilian eyes look in her direction.

Victoria didn't recognize the guards surrounding the Wraith. One of them nodded to Warrington, who nudged Victoria further behind him, as they passed by. "Stay back," Robert said under his breath.

"What's a Wraith doing here?" she asked once they passed by. Her heart was racing so fast that she thought it would explode and she gripped Robert's arm hard enough to leave marks.

"I can't tell you," he replied, his brown eyes looking over her trembling form.

"I-I know. I swear the hair stood up on my neck." Victoria had just fallen several stories attached to a rope, but the fear that creature invoked left her wanting to take up BASE-jumping. Her hands still gripped Warrington's arm tightly.

"Come on," he motioned toward the main part of the infirmary.

"I need to get to my meeting in half an hour," she added as he extracted himself from her grip. "Sorry about that." Victoria took a step back and wrapped her arms around herself.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't know they'd move him this morning," he said. "Gunny'll have my hide."

"I've been meaning to ask why a few of you call him Gunny instead of Master Gunny. Isn't that the correct nickname for his rank?" Victoria was desperate to think about something besides the cold stare of the Wraith. Learning more about Dwayne was a perfect distraction.

Robert laughed. "When I first met him he was a Gunny Sergeant. That's the same with Carter. We're both lazy."

"Or nostalgic," she replied. Her thoughts returning to last evening and what occurred in the infirmary. A wave of redness crossed her cheeks as they entered the main area of the infirmary. "Why are we here?" They should have continued to the transporter and the conference room.

Things looked different this morning. The mass casualty arrangement of beds throughout the area was gone. Robert walked her to a separate room in the back and knocked on the doorframe before he entered. Victoria suspected they were visiting with the reason she didn't sleep and tested the cold shower theory one more time last night.

"Hey, I'm just seeing if you were awake. Victoria and I were on our way to the mess hall when we had a little encounter with our prisoner."

"Victoria?" Dwayne raised his voice to call her name so she stepped around Robert to smile at him.

"Good morning." She felt her face flaming as Warrington stepped back to let her enter. Her heart started racing again when she saw his grey eyes rake over her and settle on her face.

"Are you okay?" Dwayne looked from Victoria to Warrington, his eyes narrowing at his fellow Marine and then they swung back to her. "Did he talk to you?"

Before she could answer, Robert jumped in. "No. Todd just looked at us in that creepy Wraith way of looking."

"I was a little freaked out to see a Wraith on Atlantis, but I'm fine now." Victoria said with a smile.

"Come here." He lifted his left hand and motioned for her to come into the room.

"I'll be outside," Warrington said and left.

"I'm fine. I have no idea why Robert brought me here," she said, stepping closer to the bed.

Dwayne reached out to take one of her cold hands in his. "Because Warry knows I'd want to make sure you're okay with my own eyes."

Victoria felt warmth flow through her and it had nothing to do with embarrassment. "Do you think we're in danger because he's here?"

"No," he said, his eyes still looking over her.

Victoria squeezed his hand and suddenly had to look away from his intense look. "I really am fine."

"Did you sleep?"

"N-no. Not well," she stammered as she felt her face flush.

"Sorry about that," he said with a chuckle. "I swear it won't happen again."

"Why not?"

His eyebrows shot up his forehead and he tugged her hand to bring her closer to the head of the bed.

"I…" Her eyes widened once again. "I really should stop talking most of the time."

"You should." He tugged one last time and she moved close enough for him to lean forward and steal a quick kiss. "Now get off to your meeting."

"Oh. Of course," she whispered because her voice was gone after the brief contact with his lips and hands.

* * *

Victoria knew she had a silly smile on her face when she walked with Sergeant Warrington to the conference room. A female soldier came up behind them, causing Warrington to snap to attention.

"At ease, Sergeant," the Major said.

Warrington nodded, turned to Victoria and said good-bye.

"Major Teldy, welcome back to Atlantis," Radek said as he came up behind Victoria.

She had heard all about Major Teldy from Dusty and knew that the Major had been reassigned to the _Daedalus_ for a while after their disastrous mission. It would appear with SGA1 and SGA2 both in the infirmary Major Teldy was going to be involved in her mission to M7G677. "Major, I'm Doctor…"

"Parker. The archaeologist," the Major snapped.

"Y-yes," Victoria was taken aback by the angry look on the woman's face.

"Hello, Tori," Juanita's voice caused her to turn and look into a second set of angry brown eyes.

"Juanita," she said. "Are you coming to M7G677?" Victoria expected Juanita to be upset but not so openly hostile.

"Yes, Major Teldy selected me for her new team," she said with a smug smile. "It appears my popularity isn't tied to some man," the engineer hissed under her breath near Victoria's ear.

"What?" she questioned her friend.

"You always acted all high-and-mighty, looking down your nose at me, and now that you slept with that Marine you ignore all of us who put up with you, " Juanita hissed before she stomped into the room.

Victoria stood in shock; thankful Doctor Zelenka and Mister Woolsey were in the corner of the room and not watching her face turn white.

"Are you going to join us, Doctor Parker? I don't have all day," Major Teldy said coldly.

Feeling like she stepped through the Stargate into another reality, Victoria walked into the conference room to plan what was going to be a tense offworld experience.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: No, Victoria's life can't be easy and I don't like all my characters to love my heroine in a story**.


	23. The Agreement

**A/N: Wanted to thank everyone for the continued support. I'm starting a new job, which will take up much more time than before so I'm not sure how frequently I'll get in updates. I'll try as best as I can so please be patient with me. Thanks, **_**BetherdyBabe**_**, for the beta. **

* * *

"Doctor Parker, thank you for joining us," Mister Woolsey said. "I am sorry for the change of plans but we had an accident involving SGA1 and 2 that has changed the make-up of your off world team."

She nodded because she was still too shaken to speak. Victoria was seated between Doctors Sidorov and Zelenka but could feel the open hostility directed at her from her ex-friend and the Major. Elisa once told her that Juanita was a jealous, petty person, but Victoria liked to form her own opinions. _I should have listened to her about that one._

"Major Teldy, who is moving from the _Daedalus_ to the _Apollo_ with a layover on Atlantis, has agreed to set up a team to escort you to M7G677," Woolsey summarized.

"Ve did excavations but never looked for anything underground like Doctor Parker found on M3G888," Sidorov added with a smile for her. Since he visited with her in the infirmary, he was like a kindly grandfather.

Victoria only nodded because she was still afraid to speak.

"Since Doctor McKay is injured, Doctor Zelenka will need to remain on Atlantis. Doctor Esposito has kindly agreed to join Major Teldy's team along with Captain Hawthorne."

Victoria knew of Captain Felicia Hawthorne. She had been in the SGC for a long time and had gone to the Academy with Colonel Samantha Carter. For some reason she bounced around from one team to another and she recalled Pamela saying the Air Force officer had a chip on her shoulder. _Looks like I traded in Toledo and Upton for a cranky Gate team._

"Something has come up that will take up most of my attention so I look to you, Major Teldy, to handle negotiations with the leader of the villages. They consider the ruins somewhat sacred and distrust us when we go there," Woolsey explained. "Things are even tenser now that Keras has stepped down."

"Da, my last team vas chased avay by Ares," Sidorov added. "Victoria, let ze soldiers deal vith him."

"Of course," she said, glancing at Teldy whose eyes drilled into Victoria.

"If that's all, Mister Woolsey, I'd like to leave as soon as Doctor Parker gets her gear," the Major said.

"_Leave_? I didn't know we were leaving today," she said, looking at her departmental leaders on each side of her.

"Only to talk vith Ares," Sidorov explained. "You vill be back tonight."

Juanita snorted when Victoria's boss mentioned this evening. The archaeologist wished she could talk to her old friend about the misconception that she had regarding her and Dwayne, but not discussing her personal life on the job had been a rule Victoria followed religiously since the debacle in graduate school. _It'll have to wait until we're off duty._

"So it's settled," Mister Woolsey said. "We'll reconvene tomorrow if you get permission to do an extensive survey."

"Don't forget instrumentation doesn't work there until we shut off the shield," Juanita said snidely as she walked past her.

Victoria wanted to scream that she knew that, but held her tongue. Her previously submissive ways came roaring back to life without the companionship of people who believed in her. She nodded and followed Sidorov and Zelenka out of the room.

* * *

Victoria entered the armory and headed to the tac vests. There was a soldier preparing on the other side of the room, but she didn't recognize them from behind.

"Parker?" A deep voice that sounded like it had been subjected to way too many cigarettes asked.

"Yes." Victoria turned to see green eyes staring at her. The woman they belonged to stood a head taller than Victoria with a crew cut like the male Marines she knew.

"Civilians don't need tac vests or weapons. Since Woolsey was put in charge of Atlantis he wants to make sure people off world know the difference between military and civilian. He doesn't want them thinking we are invading them," the woman, who must be Captain Hawthorne, said as she grabbed extra clips for her gun. "Major Teldy'll get her panties in a twist if you don't stop fannying around. Hurry it up."

Victoria had worked with quite a few Brits in her time and knew what the phrase meant. "I'm just getting a few things." She grabbed a pack and looked longingly at the tac vests. The regulations Hawthorne mentioned were familiar to the archaeologist, but the last time Warrington gave her a vest and a gun. "A-are you sure I shouldn't get a gun?"

"Nah, don't need one." The female soldier walked past her with barely a glance. "See you in the Gateroom in a few."

"O-okay," she replied, dread filling her as quickly as happiness did barely a half-hour ago in the infirmary.

"Good morning, Doctor Parker," a new voice said as she turned to face the female it belonged to.

"Sergeant Davids," she nearly cried as the friendly face appeared. "You scared me."

"Sorry," she said as she dropped her vest onto the _used_ cart. "Where are you off to?"

"M7G677," Victoria replied as she put some power bars and water in her backpack.

"Ugh. Who's escorting you with SGA1 and 2 out of commission?"

"Major Teldy put a team together," she said as blandly as she could.

"She's gotta be bullshit about pulling that assignment," Shyan said with a chuckle.

_That's the understatement of the century_ she wanted to say but only nodded. "I feel bad to make everyone go there but we could find ZPMs or at least some information about them…"

"Oh, it's important. No one disputes that but those kids are a pain in the ass," she said, shaking her head. "And the full-growns…" Shyan's demeanor changed as she walked over to the weapons' locker. "What are you taking? Glock? Beretta?"

"I wasn't bringing a weapon. The Captain said civilians shouldn't be armed or wear tac vests." Victoria fought to keep concern from her voice.

"Technically it's true but Chris would kick my ass, not to mention what Master Gunny would do, if anything ever happened to you." She pulled out a 9mil Beretta like Victoria used on the firing range. "Put this in your pack and keep it with you at all times. Some of those guys are horny little bastards and need _convincing_ that their actions are unwanted."

_Great. I'll get felt up by teenage boys. Can this get any worst?_ "Okay. I'll keep it close."

"Good. And have a great time," the Marine said in a voice full of sarcasm.

* * *

"Doctor Parker," Major Teldy said, turning quickly after they exited the gate into a clearing surrounded by trees.

Victoria stopped and waited for the Air Force officer to speak. "I don't want any trouble from you."

"T-trouble?" she stammered as her stomach twisted under the angry onslaught.

"I might have just gotten back but even I heard about you rubbing up on Richards at the fights last week."

Victoria's face blanched and she felt her stomach heave. "I, we…"

"I'm an officer and he's a Sergeant," Teldy stated, moving into Victoria's space. "Don't think for a moment I can't ruin his career if you run crying to him because I'm being tough on you."

The archaeologist was angry and afraid at the same time. "Major, I-I know what my job is. I'm not sure why you're…"

"I'm glad you know your job, Doctor, because if you mess up you won't have one." Teldy turned and stalked off.

Victoria glanced around to see if the others overheard and saw them act like they hadn't. The smirk on Juanita's face almost brought tears to Victoria's eyes though. The anger from the Major truly frightened her and left her shaking, but she valiantly kept her features as blank as possible as she followed them into the woods.

* * *

A short time later Victoria found herself alone in a hut with an angry Ares, the current leader of the villagers. He paced, waved his arms and ranted about disrespect, lies and an assortment of other grievances he had with the Lanteans. She almost thought he was Doctor Rodney McKay incarnate.

It was because of her deference to him as a leader that she even had the audience. The fact that she kept Teldy from backhanding his eight-year-old son, Jarid, might have helped too. The angry little boy, the age of her nephew back home, stuck an arrow in the Major's face and she swung at him. By instinct, Victoria shoved the boy aside.

"We won't turn off the shield," she finally interjected when he told her how the increased population might be more tempting to the Wraith if left unprotected.

"You won't?" he stopped and his dark brown eyes drilled into her blue ones.

He stepped closer, crowding into her space and she felt a momentary desire to grab her gun out of her pack, but she stood up straighter-like McKay would do- and responded, "No. I don't need instruments to do a basic excavation. We've been doing it with a shovel and pick for decades on Earth."

"That's not what the other _doctors_ have said," he spat.

"I'm a little old-fashioned I guess," she added with a light smile. The mood in the hut changed and a grin broke over Ares' grim features.

"I don't know what that means, but you seem different. You protected my son from your own warrior so I will trust you." His eyes slid over her and there was no mistaking the look.

Victoria took a step back. "T-that's great." She felt the wall and mentally screamed at herself for getting turned around and not leaving the door behind her.

"I will enjoy having you here, Doctor Parker," he said, his voice an octave lower and eyes darkening.

"T-t-thanks," she stammered when he stopped nearly on top of her. "B-better get… uh… back to the team."

"They are not welcomed here." Ares eyes flashed with anger once again. "My son said they yelled at you for stopping them." His hand came up to touch her hair and Victoria lost it.

"My team comes with me." She attempted to sidestep only to have him block her move with his body. _I need to get Dwayne to have someone teach me self-defense._ Victoria hoped that if she screamed the soldiers would come, but wasn't entirely sure. Her mind tried to come up with how to get her gun before he stopped her. "I can't do my work without them."

"I can provide assistance." He was smiling as she tried to move away from him without going past him once again.

"I'd need to train you and that'll take time." She was desperate to get out of the suddenly too small hut. Her right hand reached behind her to locate the zipper on her pack. _Shyan was right about the horny bastards around here. _Of course with Ares being their leader, Victoria didn't think she could shoot him without having Woolsey fire her or hand her over to them for trial.

"I'm a fast learner." He smirked as he finally reached out to touch her upper arm. "We can get acquainted now and you can start your work in the morning."

"No!" she said loudly as she pulled her arm away. "My team and I need to be given access to the ruins. We repair your shield and keep it operational so you can reproduce like rabbits, so the way I see it you owe us. Those are the terms."

Ares' eyebrows rose up under his shaggy black hair. "Rabbits?"

"Creatures that have lots of babies," she explained, her heart pounding like a hammer in her chest.

Ares took a moment to absorb what she said and started laughing. "You are humorous, Doctor Parker. I will allow you and your team-only your team-to go into the ruins."

Victoria wanted to cry, but tried to maintain a calm facade. "That's acceptable." _Bravado actually accomplished something. If I weren't afraid of Doctor Keller I'd kiss you Doctor McKay!_ "I need to go back to Atlantis so I can get ready to return in the morning."

His eyes lost their humor and darkened. "You do not wish to spend the night?"

"No!" she said loudly again. "I need to return to Atlantis. If I don't, more teams will come and break our new agreement." The thought of Dwayne, Carter, Warington and Chris striding through the gate and beating the crap out of Ares was appealing, but her feelings for Dwayne and her _adopted_ brothers would keep her from letting them jeopardize their careers over a jerk hitting on her. _I'll just have to learn self-defense and handle this myself._

* * *

Victoria told _her_ team that they could return tomorrow to begin excavations without turning off the shield. Juanita of course went nuts on the way back to the gate and accused Victoria of giving Ares _something_ to make that arrangement.

By the time the archaeologist made her way to her quarters it was almost 8pm. She wanted nothing more than to curl up under her covers and cry. Everyone on the gate team seemed to hate her. She feared that she'd be fending off advances from Ares, without creating a diplomatic disaster for Mister Woolsey, on a daily basis. Now she was too late to get a hot meal and past visiting hours in the infirmary, so she couldn't even see Dwayne. _That's a blessing because you know he'll see right through you. Lying on the second day of a relationship isn't a good thing._

"Lying is never a good thing on any day of a relationship." a deep voice said from behind.

TBC

* * *

**A/N:** **Sorry to Major Teldy lovers but I need a bad guy and she drew the short stick. This is post-**_**Whispers**_** where things went pretty badly for her team on that mission.**


	24. Dinner

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but my new job is very time consuming and so is my family in the evenings. Thanks for all the reviews. Thanks BetherdyBabe for beta.**

* * *

Victoria spun and saw Dwayne leaning against the wall across from her door. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow cocked in its _questioning_ position. "What are you doing out of the infirmary? Doctor Beckett said you needed to be off your feet for a few days?"

"What are you going to lie to me about?" he countered, straightening up like a powerful predator getting up from its resting place. His muscles could be seen flexing under the t-shirt and pants that seemed too tight.

"Who said I was going to lie to you?" She swallowed as she forced her eyes back to his face and stood up taller, like during her confrontation with Ares. Of course her head barely brushed his chin, but the petite woman didn't let that stop her.

"You just did," he said, stopping inches from her.

"You need to be resting." Victoria kept changing the subject because she was afraid his intense gray eyes would make her reveal all that was troubling her. _No one, not even my parents, have gotten me to spill my guts if I don't want to. How can his eyes make me want to curl up on his lap and cry my eyes out?_ "Get back to the infirmary." She pointed down the corridor and tried to sound commanding. "Do I need to call Doctor Beckett?"

Dwayne's eyes narrowed. "He released me. A cut on my leg and bruised ribs aren't enough to take up a valuable infirmary bed."

"Then you should be resting in your quarters." She crossed her arms and stepped back so she could look up without craning her neck.

"I thought I'd have a meal with you, but you seem to want to plot how to deceive me," he said.

"_Really_?" Victoria was surprised that Dwayne must have waited around for dinner until Chuck or one of the Gate techs told him she'd returned.

"We haven't eaten together, unless you count that power bar in the pyramid," he stated.

"I-I'd love to, but I…" she stammered wanting nothing more than to spend the evening with him yet afraid she'd slip up. _You can't whine about the team or the Major and if you mention Ares' interest in you, Dwayne might cause a diplomatic nightmare._

"You have other plans?" His eyes bore into her and she felt her resolve failing.

"N-no, well, I'd like a long shower and a soft bed," she said and suddenly felt something change in Dwayne's demeanor. His eyes swept from her dusty boots to the messy hair she knew to be coming out of the ponytail she wore. The gaze showed concern, but also something she'd never noticed from a man before. _Desire_.

"Maybe after a few more dates," he said softly, his stormy eyes staring into hers.

Victoria was entranced by the changing colors in his eyes and forgot that they were in the corridor, forgot the horrible day she had and nearly forgot that she was in over her head with this man. She felt her body swaying toward him and subconsciously licked her lips as memories of the feel of his mouth possessing hers the day before came to mind. "Sure," she mumbled not caring what she just agreed to.

"I'll be back in twenty," he said, drawing back from her. "Is that enough time for a quick shower?"

"Shower?" Victoria's brow knitted for a moment.

Dwayne chuckled and reached out to run his hand over her hair and cup her cheek. "Yes, a shower and then some food before you go to bed."

Victoria closed her eyes at the feel of his strong hand rubbing against her face. _Everything will be okay, the touch said. I'd never let anything happen to you._ Her eyes snapped open when the contact went away.

"Don't fall asleep standing up," he said with a chuckle.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Master Gunny was standing outside Victoria's room and she wasn't sure if he'd ever left. "I feel much better now that I'm not so dusty and dirty," she said with a slight smile.

Dwayne's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, encased in jeans and a dark green t-shirt. When the gaze settled on her face, which was framed by her long brown hair, he straightened to tower over her. "This way." He nodded and turned quickly as if he needed to change the subject.

Victoria had a moment of panic that she'd done something wrong but it was pushed aside when he paused and waited for her to catch up to him.

She questioned where they were going when he hit a spot on the North pier she'd never heard about before, but he only offered a smile. Deciding to continue to trust him, Victoria said, "I never liked surprises."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," he responded.

* * *

The transporter opened into a long corridor that was dimly lit. The sounds of waves crashing against the base of Atlantis drown out most other sound as Dwayne led the way to a set of double doors on the left. He stepped aside to let her enter.

Victoria saw a blanket with a box on the floor in front of floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. Her eyes swept around the room and settled on several large columns that were illuminated by soft lights coming from the floor. "Wha…" she began only to stop speaking when she stepped up to one of them.

Intricate designs and Ancient lettering covered the stone. It spoke of finding serenity and the next one had an Ancient poem.

"It's some type of Ancient temple or at least that's what Doctor Weir thought it was," Dwayne explained. "Once Doctor McKay realized there wasn't any useful tech here, it got shunted aside."

"It's beautiful." She lovingly ran her eyes over the Ancient stones. "Someone carved these thousands of years ago." The awe she always felt in the presence of things older than she could imagine took over her voice and her features.

"Since we did something I like on our first date, I thought I'd take a stab at something you might like." His voice came from close behind.

Victoria turned to look up in the dim light to see his brows raised as if asking if he'd done the right thing. "It's amazing. Thank you."

A grin split his features, making him look younger than he was. "I guess you're not so sleepy anymore?"

"Sleep is overrated," she said with a laugh. Her hand tentatively reached out to touch his arm, which was bared because he was wearing a black t-shirt again. Victoria thought she felt a slight shutter pass through him.

"Your admirer made up a nice box of food for you," Dwayne said as he motioned for her to sit on the blanket.

"_Admirer_?" she questioned.

"Master Sergeant Dixon," Dwayne said as he sat down and barely hid the wince.

"Your injuries," she said, angry with herself for forgetting about his injuries while she marveled at the room.

"I didn't get anything hot, but I hope you like it."

"Don't change the topic," she scolded. "You're still injured."

"I've been in far worse shape than this," he said as he began to pull food out. "Now why does Dix think so highly of you?"

"He's trying to get you to lighten up on his physical training by being nice to me," Victoria replied. "Now let me check and make sure your leg isn't bleeding. I'm sure Doctor Beckett didn't expect you to be walking around getting me food and setting up a romantic location for dinner."

Richards laughed. A deep laugh that Victoria sensed was only for her. "You're getting pretty feisty."

Victoria had a retort on her lips but stopped. Fear suddenly gripped her. "I-is that a problem? I-I've never been this…"

"Bossy before?"

Victoria saw the humor on his face and relaxed. "I prefer assertive."

"Semantics." He chuckled. "Now eat."

"Chicken salad, celery with peanut butter and… chocolate cake?" Victoria's eyes widened as she met his. "How do you know what foods I like?"

"I have been sitting next to you for months at meal times," he explained.

"On purpose?" she gasped before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Of course. You think I'd listen to Doctor Esposito talk about us like we were stallions available for stud service if I didn't have a reason to."

Victoria's eyes widened and she stared. "Why?"

"The first time I saw you, about ten pallets of supplies were beamed to the wrong location by the Apollo crew. Doctor Toledo was furious and grabbed two Airmen to move them. It wasn't their job, but they're enlisted personnel so they did what they were told."

"I remember that. I helped them."

"And the next time I saw you, you were in the meal line in the mess hall. Amelia Banks was telling Sergeant Campbell she wanted the last chocolate pudding, but Doctor McKay cut in front of you to take it."

Victoria struggled to remember the occurrence.

"You put your pudding dish back," he stated.

Victoria stared into his grey eyes and saw… _admiration_. "That wasn't anything special. It was the right thing to help the Airmen out and I had chocolate pudding at lunch that day. I didn't need to be greedy."

"Not too many other people would do that."

"So you've been stalking me since then because I was nice?"

"I prefer waiting for the right opportunity over stalking," he said with a smile once again softening his features.

"Semantics," she replied and her laughter joined his.

* * *

Victoria tried not to stiffen but it was hard not to while sitting in such an unfamiliar position. Dwayne's powerful hands moved with the right amount of pressure to relieve the knots of tension in her neck, but enough gentleness to make her melt.

After eating and exploring the room Dwayne suggested she sit and look up at the stars. She'd agreed and faster than she imagined the big man would be able to move, he was sitting behind her, massaging her shoulders and neck. Victoria never got a massage before, having always been self-conscious. _How can this not be an intimate experience?_

Dwayne made a sound like a growl before she felt her body being pulled back closer to his. The way they were sitting he was surrounding her. If she was honest, it was the most wonderful feeling she'd experienced. _Only matched by that first kiss._

His hands stopped their ministrations as his heartbeat thundered within his chest, which was pressed against her back. Victoria's eyes had slid closed but now sprang open. "Did I…"

Without a word of confirmation, he turned her so she was sitting between the V formed by his legs and his lips found hers.

Victoria was annoyed that Dwayne needed air and had to stop their kissing to get some. After a long drugging kiss, she could barely remember where she was let alone that she needed to breathe to live. As long as she was in the presence of this man, she felt invincible. How could the interest of another person change her outlook so quickly and so radically? She'd spent her life ridiculing her friends for sleeping with guys on the first date. If Dwayne pushed her down on the blanket, she'd no sooner ask him to stop as she'd tell Doctor McKay he was arrogant.

Dwayne apparently was thinking rationally because he didn't attempt to do anything more than hold her close. His heart raced beneath her hand, which was pressed against his chest, and spoke of how affected he was by the kiss.

Uncertainty came back after they sat for some time with only the sound of waves crashing below them and their breathing to break the silence. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, his head resting against hers.

"Your ribs and your leg. I-I'm on your lap again."

Dwayne laughed. "I've never felt this good."

"You're supposed to be taking it easy," she said, pushing back so she could see his face.

"How am I supposed to do that while you're off world alone?" he asked.

Victoria was once again stunned by the honesty. "I'm not alone."

"Major Teldy and Captain Hawthorne aren't anywhere near the top of my list of people I want you going off world with," he stated, his grey eyes narrowing.

"They're okay. The Major infuriated Ares and he almost threw us off the planet, but I calmed him down."

"You calmed him down?" Dwayne's arms settled around her waist.

"He appreciated the fact that I treated him like a leader and that I promised we wouldn't take down the shield to do our excavations."

Dwayne smiled. "Smart girl. We know of two hive ships in that sector."

"Hive ships? No one told me," she said, suddenly horrified not only for herself but for all the children.

"Major Teldy should have shared the tactical analysis with you. You are technically in charge," Dwayne explained. His eyes darkened for a moment, but then brightened as he looked at her.

"She didn't share much with me," Victoria said, praying she wouldn't accidentally let on to all the awful things Teldy did share.

"What happened?" he asked, one hand sliding up her back to comb through her hair.

The gentle move almost undid her. _He's distracting you. Trying to make you lose your guard, an inner voice warned. _Images of him being stripped of his rank and dishonorably discharged came to mind if she told him all the ugly things she experienced that day. _Maybe I'll just share one that he can't do anything about._ "Juanita."

"Doctor Esposito. Your friend."

"Not my friend," she said, closing her eyes. "She hates me because she thinks I'm a hypocrite."

"You lectured her about her actions for months and now she thinks you've done the very thing you disliked about her."

"How did you…"

"I eat next to you. Remember?" he replied, his hand sliding and twisting in her tresses.

The sensual pleasure she got from her head being touched in such a fashion threatened to override her common sense. An image of something happening to Dwayne because she couldn't handle some bitchy women kept her resolve not to whine to him in place.

"You've become our little champion," he said, his lips grazing her ear. "Defender of _masculine_ men."

Victoria laughed because of the ridiculous idea and the breath tickling her neck.

"I'm not masculine?" He sounded hurt as he caught her earlobe with his lips.

"Stop!" Victoria snapped and lapsed into a fit of giggles as his lips found the ticklish spot on her neck.

* * *

Some time later, after their _teenage antics_ as she dubbed their make-out session, Victoria was at her doorway with the big Marine standing close by. "Thanks for tonight. It was a perfect second date," she said, looking up into his face.

He shook his head and brushed some hair behind her ear.

"Why wasn't it perfect?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"We should have ended the date with a kiss."

"Afraid of Granny Richards' ghost?"

"Damn right I am." He leaned forward for a brief kiss and stepped back. "Sweet dream, Victoria."

"Like I'm gonna get any sleep," she muttered after she entered her quarters.

* * *

It was midnight when Dwayne returned to the infirmary. He'd gotten very little out of Victoria because she was more stubborn than he gave her credit for. A smile pulled at his lips at the thought of much she did reveal.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need a favor," he said with his usual stoic expression in place.

"Anything."

"When's the last time you ran a clinic on M7G677?"

"At least six months. Why?"

"Doctor Parker could use some goodwill from Ares. He loves the candy you bring and how happy it makes the little ones. Assuming you're cleared for duty?" Grey eyes assessed the physician as she sat with a wince.

"Carson'll be here for a while. Goodwill, hmm? Is that all?" Jennifer Keller said with a knowing grin.

"Goodwill."

"Fine. But I should warn you that Rodney'll be pissed. Every time I go there, I get all excited to have a child."

Dwayne raised his brows. "I'm surprised he doesn't want to bless the universe with more of his genetic material."

Jennifer Keller, soon to be McKay, laughed until tears trickled down her cheeks. "I'll tell him that the next time he whines about kids."

Dwayne left the infirmary feeling slightly better than when he entered. Teldy who had a beef to pick with every man in the military would welcome Jennifer and the doctor would be able keep an eye on Victoria without alerting the archaeologist.

It angered him that he was restricted to base and had to let the first person he let himself care about go off world alone. M7G677 was relatively safe for the archaeologist, but he didn't fully trust all the young men around a woman as naturally beautiful as Victoria.

He rode out the wave of rage that passed through him at the thought of someone hurting her. Closing his eyes and clenching his fists he said a prayer that he'd never have to unleash the level of violence he was capable of on another person. _But if one of those little bastards touches her, all bets are off._

_TBC_

* * *

**A/N: I know! Gunny POV. I said I'd never do it, but I just had it. For those who don't read my other work, Jennifer and Gunny are usually friends.**


	25. Curses

**A/N: I am really sorry, but my new job has just left no room for writing at night once I get my kids to bed. I'll try to update more frequently for those of you still reading this, but please bear with me. **

**I promise I won't leave the story unfinished. I pride myself in always finishing my work. I've only got 2 open stories besides this one and i will finish them even if it takes years ;-)**

* * *

Victoria heard the door chime and raced across her room, pulling on her jacket. It was nearly 07:00 and she expected Dwayne to be at her door a long time ago. "Where…"

"I'd ask where you've been but the whole base seems to know," Heather said with her thick Mid-Western accent.

"Heather," she gasped.

"Surprised you remember my name," her friend said and motioned with her head. "May I come in?"

"S-sure," Victoria stammered. "I'm so sorry I…"

"It's okay. I understand," the blond said as she sat on the couch. "_I'm_ probably the only one who does."

"What?" Victoria felt her face heat up as she realized she didn't know how to explain the fact that she'd ignored her friends for the last week.

"I've fallen in love recently too." Heather's face broke into a broad grin. "I know how… _addictive_ it is."

"Love? I'm not in love…" But Victoria knew it was a lie as soon as the words left her tongue. _Of course I'm falling in love with Master Gunny Richards, the man was gentlemanly, passionate and …just plain hot._

The kisses they shared were beyond anything she'd ever dreamed of. Her breath was literally taken away and she was left clueless as to which way was up when they stopped. She didn't need to remember only the physical side of their relationship to make her chest tighten and body react. His attention to every word she spoke, protectiveness and ability to make her laugh and feel at ease captured her every bit as much as his physical attributes.

"Of course you're not. I denied it for months until Tommy said it first, then it flowed off my lips easily."

_Love? Is it even possible for a man like Richards to fall in love?_ Victoria slumped onto the sofa next to Heather. It was terrible of her to make a judgment like that against Dwayne, but she couldn't imagine that anyone could fall in love with her, let alone a hardened warrior. "It's a little overwhelming. I didn't come here for this. I wanted to discover new cultures and explore, not become involved."

"I didn't either, but the first time I saw Tommy, my heart started racing," Heather confided, her face suddenly glowing.

"How _did_ you meet him?"

"I was fixing a repeater for the WiFi in the jumper bay when your Marine buddies were giving him a hard time." Heather's eyes focused on something outside the window and a dreamy expression covered her face.

"My buddies?"

"Carter, Raven and a few others. Because Tommy's got the Ancient gene now, he's a pilot."

"So he's a pretty flyboy instead of a hard-working Marine," Victoria said with a smile, having overheard the ribbing of Stackhouse on many occasions.

"Yup." Heather shifted and her grin widened. "I thought he was cute and offered him a smile and wink when they weren't looking."

"You did?" Victoria never pictured her laid-back friend being so forward with a guy.

"Yup. He sat with me the next morning in the mess hall. Made some remark about needing to repay his _lady_ for her _favor_."

"Favor? Did he come from the Renaissance period or something?"

"He loves that kind of stuff. Swords and knights and anything related to the chivalry." Heather threw her head back and let out a huge sigh.

"I think Dwayne lives back then sometimes too. But then…" Memories of his scorching touch and passionate kisses made her think his actions were modern. _I doubt he'd settle for just kissing my hand anymore._ She felt her face overheat and couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Did you just giggle?" Heather sat forward and raised a brow.

"I do not… _giggle_," Victoria snapped and then lapsed into a long bout of the giggles along with her friend.

* * *

It was at least another half hour before the friends emerged from Victoria's room. The two women had never gotten to act like love struck teens when growing up so they had a lot of lost time to make up for.

"Doctor Parker," a female voice called from behind them on their way to the mess hall

She and Heather turned to see Doctors Jennifer Keller and Rodney McKay holding hands.

"Doctor McKay. Doctor Keller," Victoria said, looking from her boss to his fiancé. The large diamond was missing from the physician's hand and Victoria thought that was odd.

"I take it you haven't heard yet?" Rodney asked, his eyes serious.

"Heard what?" Victoria's eyes widened as she looked from Rodney to Jennifer.

"You have the tact of an elephant sometimes, Rodney," Jennifer said quietly as she rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand.

Victoria looked at Heather who shrugged. A timer beeped on the archaeologist's watch, alerting her that it was 08:00am. "Dwayne!" she nearly screamed as she realized she hadn't heard from him this morning.

"Who's Dwayne?" Rodney asked.

"Yes," Jennifer said gently. "Dwayne's back in the infirmary. It appears he hasn't taken it easy like Carson told him too,"

Victoria took off faster than Ronon chasing a Wraith. Her stomach was in knots and tears threatened to fall once again. _While I was being silly with Heather, Dwayne lay in the infirmary wondering where his girlfriend went. I am so not cut out for this relationship stuff._

* * *

"You're going to be late," Dwayne growled when Victoria stormed into his room. He looked tired and his leg was elevated, but he offered her half a smile.

"I… You…" Victoria was nearly out of breath and had no idea what to say. She was angry at the Marine but angrier at herself.

"Did you have a nice visit with Heather?" he asked.

"Heather?"

"Your best friend."

"Do you know every little thing I do?" she hissed and then softened her voice. "Sorry. I…"

"Since I told Stack to make sure his fiancé checked in on you… yes, I did know what you were doing this morning." Dwayne smiled.

"Check in on me?" Victoria had raced here to yell at Dwayne for injuring himself and to exorcise her own guilt. "Don't change the subject and act all concerned about me. I can take care of myself. You on the other hand obviously need a nursemaid…"

"Stop!" He held up his hand and reached out for her.

Victoria had her hands on her hips and was ready to continue her tirade when his expression hardened. He motioned for her to come closer with his head and she relented. "Don't think for a minute that because you're in an infirmary bed that I'm not going to lecture you."His hand covered her smaller one and tugged her to the bed. "And I am not sitting down on that mattress again. That's how this whole mess got started."

"No, this got started because I disobeyed my Granny."

"What?"

"I told you she'd haunt me. I should never have let things get so far so fast," he said quietly. He tugged again and Victoria was forced to lean closer.

She steeled herself against the onslaught to her senses that his physical presence brought. He smelled of antibacterial soap, but still maintained a masculine scent that she'd come to identify only with him. His calloused hands were warm as they engulfed her hand and caused a tremor to run up her arms.

She grudgingly placed her other hand over his. "You're being ridiculous. We never should have gone for a walk yesterday."

"I never should have offered you that back rub." His voice dropped an octave, which Victoria thought was impossible.

She felt her face flush. "I never should have kissed you when we were here the other day." Her voice quieted and her gaze finally connected with his grey eyes, which were nearly black.

"Shh…" He removed one hand to placed a finger on her lips. "Don't remind Granny Richards."

"Will you be serious. You're injured and back in the infirmary." Victoria pulled away from the contact with his finger.

"I'm always serious."

"I'm very sorry to interrupt," Doctor Keller's voice came from behind them, "but we're going to be late and I know Major Teldy doesn't like that."

"What?" Victoria turned, one hand still captured by Dwayne's.

"I'm going to run a clinic on M7G-677 with you." Jennifer glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "Oops, Rodney almost heard that. He hates when I go there. Doesn't want me getting any ideas because of all the cute little kids there."

Victoria's eyebrows rose. "You're coming with us?"

"Yes. Master Gunny will be all right as long as he takes his antibiotics and rests for a few days," Jennifer said with a gentle smile. "He'll be fine while we're gone."

"Sure," Victoria replied.

"You've got a couple minutes. I'll walk with you to the armory to get ready."

Victoria turned back to Dwayne after Doctor Keller left. "You're worried about your Granny's curse on you. What about the curse I just got?"

"What?" It was his turn to look confused.

"The curse of going off world with Doctor Keller."

Dwayne had reassured her that Jennifer's bad luck was isolated to going off world with members of SGA1. The physician had gone off world with Major Lorne's teams many times and had no issues. There was something about Teyla, Ronon, Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay that ended the Wisconsinite in hot water.

Victoria admitted she didn't believe in curses, even from vengeful grandmothers. The Marine chuckled, pulled her close for a chaste kiss on her lips and sent her on her way.

* * *

That had been two days ago.

Master Gunny Richards stood in the control room as Doctors Zelenka and McKay tried to make contact with anyone on M7G-677. Colonel Sheppard and Mister Woolsey stood back, letting the geniuses adjust transmitters and ready a MALP. Marines were filing into the Gateroom along with Major Lorne. Dwayne wasn't cleared for active duty so he could only watch.

"MALP is ready," Chuck said.

Everyone watched the tiny robot go through the Gate. Dwayne's fists clenched because of his helpless situation. He knew the only reason he was even in the control room was because Sheppard was soft.

McKay was pacing while they waited for the MALP's images to transmit. Twisted trees and overturned crates, obviously from Atlantis, filled the view screen within seconds of the MALPs arrival.

"Let's move out," Sheppard shouted and Rodney took off up the stairs to an awaiting jumper.

"Colonel, we don't know what did this damage," Mister Woolsey said.

His CO looked at him before answering Woolsey. "Richards, are you good to go?"

"Yes, sir," he barked like he was back in basic training.

"Get yourself a gun and get down in the Gateroom."

"Yes, sir." Dwayne pushed the dread he felt aside. If anything happened to Victoria he'd let loose the raging animal that he kept hidden below the surface and his career be damned.

Before he entered the gate alongside Warrington and Raven, he silently asked his Granny Richards to look out for the woman he was falling in love with.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: I know how much I suck. I will try to update sooner.**


	26. Some Answers

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews.**

**Thanks **_**Betherdy Babe**_** for your help and **_**LanteanScribe**_** for the insult.**

* * *

Victoria was pleased that Jennifer's presence didn't upset Ares. He was clearly happy to have the doctor and her bags of candy come to the village. The presence of the CMO also kept Major Teldy from her outright hostility to the archaeologist.

While Doctor Keller ran her clinic in the village Major Teldy was forced to stay with the senior staff member, leaving Victoria with Juanita and Captain Hawthorne. The British/American soldier wandered around the ruins, obviously bored and annoyed with the babysitting.

"How'd you get Keller to come with us?" Juanita asked as she brushed her dark hair off her shoulders.

They were working around the structure housing the ZPM. Since Juanita was still upset that they couldn't shut it off to use scanners in their search, she did very little.

"I didn't. She told me she wanted to run a clinic because she hadn't in some time," Victoria replied. She knelt on the ground clearing dust off of a fallen piece of stone and had to look up at her colleague. The archaeologist held her breath for some sort of obnoxious comment, which she'd come to expect from the engineer. She was not disappointed.

"Must be getting tired of the old man already and wants some young blood."

"That's a horrible thing to say, Juanita," Victoria replied, angry at the slight to both Doctor Keller and their boss.

"You'd know all about older men, wouldn't you?" Juanita leaned against the wall with her arms crossed in the classic adversarial pose.

"Juanita, I'm sorry that you haven't met anyone. I didn't come here to get involved with anybody. It just happened." Victoria shot to her feet and glanced around for the Captain, who was nowhere to be seen.

"Of course you didn't," Juanita purred. "You just happened to attract the attention of one of the most _alpha_ males on the base. I wonder how you did that? Maybe he lost a bet."

Victoria never lost her temper. She'd grown up with three older brothers so she had to learn patience or go insane. "You vile little… _toad_!"

"Shut it, Victoria. From what I've seen Richards has had a pretty long dry spell so he accepted what you were offering."

It was hard to tell who was more shocked when Victoria slapped Juanita. A part of her was ready to beg forgiveness. The part that was falling in love with Dwayne dared the Italian engineer to retaliate.

"You bitch!" Juanita lifted a hand to her cheek, which had the perfect imprint of Victoria's smaller hand.

* * *

"Doctor Parker? _Victoria_?" a rough voice came from near her ear followed by a hand gently touching her cheek.

She jerked up from her resting spot, leaning against an Ancient wall. A body was blocking out the light of her lantern. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. A crash of thunder, which seemed to shake the ground beneath her, caused her to gasp.

"There's a big storm coming. It's been many seasons since the last one but all the signs in the clouds the past few days pointed to its arrival," Ares said.

He had a sly grin on his face and it caused Victoria's heart to race in fear. Memories of what transpired the other afternoon flooded back and make her realize she didn't want to be alone with this man. "Where are the others..."_  
_

"They are in the village. I told Doctor Keller that I would find you," he said, his movements mirroring hers from a distance.

_No one will come running if he tries something with you. _Victoria was trying to edge toward the doorway of the structure she'd entered after her argument with Juanita. It wasn't really an argument. Her dream made it seem like she'd actually fought back. Instead, she allowed Juanita to insult her by implying Dwayne didn't really want to be with her. _I must've fallen asleep because I didn't eat all afternoon._

Once Juanita huffed away after her comments, Victoria did what she'd done all her life-_imagined_ how she would've liked to respond. _Hitting Juanita would have been wonderful. I'd lose my job and therefore any chance of more than a couple dates with Dwayne, but her expression would be with me until the grave._

"We won't make it back before the storm hits so don't head out that way," Ares said, his eyes glancing briefly toward the opening as another thunderclap echoed through the structure.

"We-we could make it to the gate," she offered. Her pack _and gun_ were on the other side of the structure. She continued to try to move that way without getting close to Ares.

"No. The storm will bring strong wind and a lot of rain. Paths will be washed away and trees knocked down. It's best to shelter here. It will be safer underground." The young leader turned and picked up her lantern and pack. "The entrance is within this structure." He began to walk toward her.

"_Entrance_?" The archaeologist couldn't help but be intrigued as she jumped out of the way, looking with longing at her pack flung over his arm. "There was never any mention of anything below ground on your planet."

"Only elders know of it," Ares said as he knelt before the wall. "Keras was never interested in because he's afraid of dark places so he didn't mention it to your people."

* * *

Robert Warrington grew up near Marley Beach on the island nation of Bermuda. In his lifetime he'd witnessed a few hurricanes pass over his birthplace. The damage he saw from the window of the jumper reminded him of the destruction he helped clean up near his grandparent's house: trees snapped off or torn out of the ground, deep tracks in the dirt made from a flash flood and branches, leaves and anything not tied down strewn everywhere.

"Looks like it was a helluva storm," Sheppard said to his passengers: Richards, Raven, Warrington, McKay and Doctor Cole.

"Yes," McKay answered. "The sensors detect a massive front to the south of here. It must have come right over them."

"That explains the lack of radio contact," the Colonel said with obvious relief in his voice. He hit his earwig. "Mister Woolsey, it looks like they had some type of storm. I'd suggest we get medical mobilized."

"Understood. I'll have Doctor Beckett start planning. Please let us know as soon as you determine the level of need."

"We'll swing by and take out the ZPM for a little while so that we can use the jumpers to get folks to the village and back faster," Sheppard replied.

Robert was seated next to Dwayne, who had a blank expression on his face. The stoic warrior's eyes were assessing the view from the jumper window. The Bermudan didn't need to ask what his friend was thinking.

"I'm sure they're okay," Doctor Cole said aloud. "Doctor Keller's from Wisconsin so she knows all about tornadoes and high winds. Isn't Major Teldy from somewhere in the Plains too?"

"Denver, ma'am," Sergeant Raven replied to the physician, who was seated in the back with the soldiers.

"She'll take care of everyone. Not to mention I'm sure the villagers have dealt with these storms before," Amanda Cole continued. "Nothing to fear, Doctor McKay."

"Need I remind you that these people live in _trees_? Trees that got ripped out of the ground," Rodney barked, ignoring the fact that Doctor Keller's friend was trying to reassure him.

"Enough, McKay," Sheppard interrupted. "As Doctor Cole stated, there are plenty of people familiar with staying safe during storms on this mission so I'm willing to bet they're all safe in the village area."

* * *

Sergeant Warrington stood near the edge of the village trying to keep his Master Gunny from bolting into the forest. Chris Raven was standing on the other side of Richards to rein him in as they listened to Doctor Keller's tale.

"So you haven't seen Doctor Parker since the storm began?" Colonel Sheppard asked Jennifer.

"No," Jennifer said, swatting at Doctor McKay's hand as he scrutinized her face and arms for scratches. "I'm sorry, Master Gunny. I got caught up with the little kids, trying to keep them calm, and I didn't realize Victoria never came back until the storm was almost upon us. Ares said he'd go find her, but they didn't return before it hit."

"Major Teldy. Captain Hawthorne," Colonel Sheppard barked. "A word." He nodded harshly toward a large tree that had fallen, crushing a few structures under it. The female officers looked subdued as they followed their CO.

* * *

The village was full of Atlantis personnel helping with tree removal and general clean up. There was a great deal of noise, but the Colonel's angry tone seemed to cut through the noise. Several people glanced their way only to quickly scurry off when the angry expressions of Major Lorne and Colonel Sheppard were seen.

Never before had Robert Warrington wanted to hear a conversation as badly as he wanted to at that moment. Brushing the desire to have the slacker, Captain Hawthorne, and the Major with a chip on her shoulder torn down by their CO aside, he concentrated on preparing to find Victoria.

"Jennifer, you didn't do anything wrong," Rodney said.

"My bad luck strikes again. They have these storms every fifty to sixty years." Jennifer looked distraught. "Why one now?"

"You don't have bad luck. And it's the soldiers who screwed up. Why the hell did they let her wander off? That's not your fault. They're supposed to protect us civilians. If anything's happened to her…" The physicist let his voice die when he glanced at the Marines. "Not that anything would. She's real smart. She can take care of herself and if Ares found her I'm sure he'd keep her safe." Rodney glanced at his fiancé for help. "_Right_?"

"Yes, he seemed to really like her. He was always offering to help and stayed nearby," Jennifer offered.

Robert tensed, as did Richards, the big Marine's knuckles were white as they held his M4 assault rifle. He nodded to the doctors and motioned for his fellow Marines to step away from the geniuses with him. Dwayne's face was harder than Robert had ever seen it.

Richards didn't think Ares' _attention _was innocent and neither did Robert. He had a younger sister that was as sweet as Victoria and had been hurt badly by a tourist who seemed to _really like her_. The Bermudan liked Doctor Keller, but wasn't sure she'd notice if Ares had ulterior motives anymore than his younger sister had all those years ago.

"She's got a gun. She'll be fine," Raven offered quietly.

Robert didn't belief Victoria was capable of shooting another person but kept that to himself. He let the rage he was never able to release after his sister's heart was broken to feed the concern he felt for Victoria. One look at Richards, though, made Robert realize he had a bigger problem on his hand.

"Chris's right. She'll be okay." He never lied, but no way would he feed the thoughts he knew to be flowing through Dwayne's head.

"If one hair is out of place…" Dwayne stopped speaking and looked once again between his companions.

"_We'll_ deal with it," Chris said. "Your only concern is finding Victoria."

"That's right, Master Gunny," Robert echoed Raven. "You'll get Victoria back to safety. We'll clean up the trash."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the quick filler. I'll try to update soon.**


	27. Discovery

**A/N: I know I'm always apologizing for being slow, but I do know how it sucks to wait daily for updates to a favorite story. Thanks as always for the wonderful reviews. Thanks Betherdy for the quick read. Mistakes are all mine though.  
**

* * *

Victoria felt the darkness of the tunnel she and Ares entered surround her. Her arms wrapped around her midsection trying to keep from trembling too much. She turned for a moment to look back down the long corridor for the stairs they came down, but could see only inky blackness.

Ares had taken her light and continued to carry her pack as she fretted over him finding the gun should he open it. He hadn't done anything overtly aggressive, but the way he looked at her and strayed into her personal space troubled her.

Staying close enough to see from the light yet far enough away that she could run if she felt threatened took all her attention. It wasn't until Ares called her name loudly that she realized he was holding the light for her to take.

"Please call me Doctor Parker," she said after he called her Victoria once again.

"The other women don't mind if I use their name instead of their title," he countered.

Victoria grabbed the light from him. "I guess I enjoy being more formal."

"Formal?" he questioned as he reached into a pocket on his coat.

The archaeologist took a step back. _What if he's got a knife? What if he threatens you to make you let him have his way with you?_ Fear spread its frigid grip through her insides, taking all her warmth away.

_You'll fight._ The voice in her head sounded a lot like Dusty. _You'll kick, gouge out his eyes and knee him where it counts. Then run like hell to the gate, storm be damned._

But it wasn't a knife. It was only a lighter, which he used to light a torch that she never noticed above his head. As he continued to light several more, Victoria gasped. The corridor walls that were illuminated looked similar to the material used on Atlantis. Ancient letters covered sections of the wall. After reading them, Victoria grabbed the closest torch and ran to what looked like a doorway behind her.

As she stopped in front of a door she read two words that could change everything for her and Atlantis- **Weapons' Testing**.

* * *

Victoria Parker couldn't believe what was buried under the Ancient ruins on M7G677. It was right there all the time and no one on Atlantis thought to excavate the area because they were all afraid of the kids. Laughing because she was at the stage of exhaustion when you become almost giddy because your brain has been sleep deprived. Her watch told her over twenty-four hours had passed since she followed Ares down the tunnel.

The leader of the village grew tired of her incessant questioning. _Did they have any idea what these tunnels were?_ Of course she knew they didn't but couldn't stand not talking about her find with someone. Although there was no power, it was obvious to Victoria what the Ancients did under the safety of the ZPM powered shield on this planet.

"This is a drone production facility!" she shouted before she laughed again. "A drone factory! Do you have any idea what this means?"

Ares, who had slept for a long time while she wandered the corridors and pried open doors, smiled slyly and raised a brow. A small part of Victoria's mind told her that she should find her gun, but her excitement couldn't be tempered. "It means we can replenish Atlantis, Earth, all the jumpers and Doctors McKay and Zelenka can probably fit them onto starships. I could spend the rest of my life exploring this place."

"I'm glad Keras removed the suicide laws," Ares said. He moved closer to her and the look in his eyes finally brought Victoria back to her senses.

Her blue eyes widened as she looked around the room for her backpack. She'd wandered so far with only her notebook and pencils that she lost track of her bag. _Idiot!_

He moved faster than she thought he would and had her in his arms before she could turn. His arms encircled her waist as he brought his mouth close to her ear. "It's time we explore each other."

"No!" she shouted as she tried to twist away. His kiss landed on her hair behind her ear. "Let me go."

"Why are you struggling? All the other women from your world enjoy being with me." His voice was so matter-of-fact that Victoria had to shoot him an incredulous look.

"Other women?"

"Yes. Soldiers. Scientists. Healers. Many women." He didn't seem to be boasting, only stating a fact.

A fact that disgusted Victoria. "I'm not like other women!" She pushed against his solid chest and her mind raced to think of how to get away from him.

Victoria had no idea she could be so strong. Her arms pushed him back as she rammed her knee into his groin causing Ares to scream and loosen his grip. She took the opportunity to pull away from him.

Ares managed to catch the sleeve of her shirt since she'd removed her jacket hours ago. His grip was tight and the fabric tore completely off. Victoria didn't care about the missing sleeve when she took off up the corridor.

Because she was terrified of what Ares would do if he caught her, she ran a full speed. Her sense of direction was usually good and she hoped it remained so in these tunnels. The young woman was positive she was running toward the entrance.

In classic damsel-in-distress fashion, her boot caught on a vine that had grown across the pathway and caused her to fall flat on her face. The dirt and rocks that had accumulated over millennia on the floor cut her cheek and scratched her hands and forearms. Crying out in pain, she pushed herself to her feet. A warm, sticky substance ran down her cheek but she ignored it.

The words of her brother Kyle came to her. "If you ever knee a guy in the family jewels you should never be around when the pain wears off. He'll kill you."

It was something her annoying brother said to her when she turned fifteen and Christopher and Patrick told her to avoid dating until she was an adult. They said teenage boys couldn't be trusted to which Kyle added the comment about how to keep them at bay. Even the voice of Dusty in her head told her to run as fast as she could because she agreed with Kyle's assessment.

Tears of pain and fear ran out of Victoria's eyes as she heard Ares yell an insult down the corridor at her. The salty tears stung upon contact with the cut on her cheek and joined the blood running down her face to drip onto her shirt. Ignoring the pain in her hands and the sting on her face, she concentrated on finding her way to the surface.

* * *

"There are tunnels beneath the ruins," Keras explained once he joined Major Lorne and the Marines.

"I bet Ares and Victoria are down there," Jennifer offered.

"Why doesn't she answer the radio?" Major Lorne asked. "Zelenka removed the ZPM. She's got to have one in her back pack."

"Maybe she lost her back pack," Jennifer said. She offered a smile as they climbed headed to the jumper.

Richards, Warrington and Raven filed in with cold expressions on their faces. Lorne joined them as they headed back to the ruins in a jumper along with Keras, McKay, Doctor Cole and Jennifer. Colonel Sheppard was busy with Major Teldy and her team.

Five minutes later the jumper landed near the building housing the ZPM. Keras led them to a section of the floor that was devoid of dirt. "This opens into the tunnels."

Master Gunny moved forward nearly pushing Keras back as he applied pressure with his boot. The stone slid back easily.

Raven and Warrington were quickly in place by his side. Their lights shining down the widening opening.

"Master Gunny," Major Lorne said. "Let Raven and Warrington go first. You're still on restricted duty."

For the first time in Dwayne Richard's military career he ignored the order of his CO. Once the stone was back enough to allow a person to enter, he was the first one down the stairs.

"I'd do the same if it was Jennifer," McKay said to the Major.

Their blue eyes connected and Lorne nodded. "Jennifer, you and Doctor Cole stay with McKay. I'll radio if we need you."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: I know… You are all cursing me. You should be thankful my husband gave me some time alone on my birthday to write. I'm giving you a small gift and your reviews will be your gift to me ;-) I'll try to get the chapter you are all waiting for up soon.**


	28. Emotions

**A/N: Thanks also for all the birthday wishes last week. Mistakes are all mine. **

* * *

Robert Warrington tried to tap down the fear he felt. It wasn't a fear that something would happen to him. It was fear for his brother-in-arms by his side. Never in the fifteen years that he fought with Dwayne Richards had he seen the man lose his cool. All the times death appeared to be the only way out his friend never showed any emotions. _Until now._

The set of Dwayne's jaw, the long strides he took as he raced down the stone steps, which were lit by the lights from their weapons, and his eyes spoke of fear. It was something Robert never expected to see from the big Marine and it caused his own anxiety to heighten.

Warry heard a faint sound and his arm shot out. "Hold up."

Everyone stopped. They heard Lorne running down the stairs behind them, but more importantly they heard the sound of footsteps ahead of them and indecipherable shouting.

Dwayne was off once again before Raven or Warrington could react. "Damn," Robert muttered.

"If Victoria's hurt…" Raven started.

"We'll deal with it." Robert took off after Richards who was now running down the corridor at full speed. The further they ran the more torches saw and, if they took time to notice, several doors and cross-corridors as well.

"What about the Major?" Raven asked as he ran beside his friend.

"You tried to stop me but you couldn't." His friends had saved Warrington's life more times than could be counted. Their bond was beyond that of brothers. There was no way he'd let Dwayne, who finally found a woman to love, or Chris, who was about to get married, lose their careers to punish someone who hurt Victoria. "It was all me. Got it?"

"Warry…"

"I ain't facing Shyan while you're getting court-martialed."

"Forgot about that," Raven confided as they finally caught up with Richards at a large intersection of corridors.

The sound of footsteps came from a corridor to their left so they turned to head down that corridor, which was a little darker than the other two that intersected theirs.

"Oh no," Raven muttered under his breath.

Robert's eyes zeroed in on his newest friend as she emerged from the shadows. Victoria's hair was a mess, a sleeve was missing from her shirt and blood mixed in with tears ran down her cheek. Red-hot anger filled his veins after the initial shock. His worst-case scenario appeared to have happened, someone attacked Victoria.

"G-gunny," the young woman said as she surged toward Richards.

Dwayne covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His arms wrapped around her petite frame and lifted her off the dirt. She threw her arms around his shoulders and cried, "Y-you found me."

Dwayne didn't say a word as he held her in his arms. One arm locked securely around her waist while the other stroked her hair as she buried her face against his neck. The fact that she went to him was a good sign.

"_Victoria_?" Chris's voice asked quietly from his position on the other side of the couple. "What happened?"

Before the woman could respond, an angry shout came down the corridor. "What the hell did you do that for?" Ares was hobbling down the corridor and came to an abrupt stop when he came into the light. He looked to be in pain, but straightened when he saw the three soldiers.

Ares disliked Colonel Sheppard but generally respected most of the other soldiers when they visited. He'd even had Raven and Carter teach him some of their fighting techniques.

Dwayne turned to face him, gently disengaged Victoria's arms around his neck, kissed her on the forehead and set her feet on the ground. "Warry'll take you to Doctor Keller."

"Gunny…" Robert saw a flash of something else he'd never seen in Dwayne's eyes before at that moment-_rage_.

"No-no," Victoria protested as she grabbed his arms, tears streaming down her face.

"It'll be okay. Warry." Dwayne's deep voice sounded off as he cast a glance at Robert. His face was set like stone, but his eyes were as stormy as the Plains of Iowa could be in the summer.

Robert knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to save Dwayne's future in the Corp. Reaching for Victoria, he pulled her to him.

"Dwayne, no," she said, but it was too late.

One second Dwayne was looking at Victoria and the next he had launched himself down the hallway at Ares. The Marine slammed into Ares, lifting him off the floor and pinning him to the corridor wall with a broad forearm under his chin. The young man's head was snapped back with his arms and legs flailing. Gasping, croaking sounds issued from deep in his throat and Robert knew that within a few minutes the village leader would be unable to breath.

* * *

Victoria screamed and pulled her arm from Warrington when a silver object appeared in Dwayne's hand. Sergeant Warrington was so stunned at the ferocity of Dwayne's attack that he literally let Victoria slip out of his grasp.

"Dwayne, no!" she yelled as she ran to stop him from killing Ares. The seven-inch KA-BAR knife that was clutched in Gunny's right hand was pointed at Ares' face. "He didn't hurt me! Dwayne, don't do this!"

Victoria had never been so afraid in her life, not for herself, now that Dwayne and the others were here she didn't have anything to fear. This was pure terror that someone she'd come to love was going to do something that would effectively end his life.

The man who looked at her barely resembled the Dwayne Richards who held and kissed her tenderly just two days ago. His eyes were filled with so much burning hatred that Victoria knew that he was angry about far more than the injuries she'd suffered. Dwayne was fighting an old battle that Victoria knew nothing about. "Please don't do this."

Dwayne remained still with knife held aloft, ready to sink deeply into Ares' skull. He continued to press the younger, smaller man into the wall with his forearm only. His nearly-black eyes seemed to lighten as she spoke.

"I'm telling the truth. I fell. I really did. Ares didn't hurt me." She kept edging closer. Raven and Warrington appeared to be shocked into a stupor.

Dwayne's eyes lightened slightly. They surveyed her skeptically, then flashed back to Ares who started gasping.

"Don't waste your career like this," she said, stopping close enough to touch him. "I've found the most incredible things down here. Let me show you."

"You're injured," Dwayne stated as he glared at Ares, who was whimpering now and trying to pry the Marine's arm from under his chin. His feet were barely even with Gunny's shins and he dangled against the wall.

"I was running and I fell."

"Why were you running?" Dwayne didn't take his eyes off Ares when he asked the question and the young man couldn't make eye contact. Richards pressed his arm into the man's windpipe harder, eliciting more gasping.

"Stop! He-he thought I was like all the other women who'd come here and that I'd sleep with him. I told him no but he didn't understand why I was different. S-so he grabbed my arm and I got scared so… I kneed him in the groin and then I ran." Victoria knew she'd never be able to keep the truth from him.

A moment passed with Richards staring deeply into the terrified eyes of the man before him. Suddenly his arm moved backwards then forward.

"Richards!" Major Lorne shouted.

"No!" Victoria screamed.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: You _absolutely_ knew I was going to end it here. Many of you have followed me for over 2 years so you KNOW my style. I promise I won't take too long to update. And blame _Betherdy Babe_ who told me to publish so she could review tonight before I had more time.  
**


	29. Return to Atlantis

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and for dealing with my clichéd cliffhanger from the last chapter. This should have been published last night, but power outage from freak snowstorm on East Coast delayed. **

* * *

The walls were made of a stone/metal alloy similar to the internal walls on Atlantis. For the KA-BAR knife to penetrate them spoke of unbelievable power behind it. The man wielding that power snarled something through clenched teeth into Ares ear before he stepped back and let the young man fall unceremoniously to the floor. What sounded like a sob echoing from him.

The corridor was quiet until everyone released a collective breath. Victoria saw Dwayne turn to look at her, but refuse to make eye contact. He unclipped his gun, removed his holster and handed them to Warrington who stood next to her. His gaze then drifted to his CO as he stood at attention. "Permission to bring Victoria to Doctor Keller, sir."

Lorne looked at Victoria, perhaps seeing her for the first time since he came upon the scene. His eyes widened as he quickly dropped his gun and grabbed something from his Tac Vest. A piece of gauze was handed to Dwayne who gently pressed it to her cut cheek. She had no idea when he pulled his jacket off, but it suddenly engulfed her in his warmth.

The gentle contact after witnessing him nearly ram a seven-inch blade through Ares' skull seemed to erase the strength the adrenaline burst provided. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly and she couldn't keep the sob from being heard as a wave of tears started to fall. She knew they were mostly due to the fact that she'd just survived the second scariest moment of her life, but the men around her didn't.

Dwayne moved swiftly, scooping her into his arms and once again looked at his CO.

"Permission granted," Lorne said, still stunned like the others.

* * *

Victoria awoke to the sound of quiet laughter, a thump and then a loud "Hey, that hurt."

"Watch where you put your hands," a female voice growled.

"You think I'd try something here?" a familiar voice replied. It was deeper than Victoria remembered Will Carter sounding.

_Will Carter? Dusty?_ Her eyes flew open to stare into bright infirmary lights. She turned her head and saw Dusty on the bed next to her with her leg in a cast and Carter seated on the edge of the female Marine's bed. A table sat over Dusty's lap with cards on it.

"You'd try something in a church," Dusty replied, with a smirk.

"Wanna head down to the chapel?" Will raised his eyes only to shout when he got soundly smacked on the back of his head.

"You're insufferable," Shyan stated as she smiled at Victoria. "How're you feeling? Nothing like sleeping for twelve hours now is there."

"Twelve hours? I've been asleep for twelve hours!" Victoria shot up in bed and looked around the room.

"Yeah," Shyan said as she sat at the foot of Victoria's bed. "Care to tell us what happened? I've never known the place to be so tight-lipped in my life."

Victoria tried to remember what happened after Dwayne nearly killed Ares. She was lifted effortlessly into Dwayne's arms and her head immediately rested on his broad shoulders, his heartbeat the best lullaby she'd ever heard.

As she looked at her friends she realized Dwayne wasn't waiting for her to wake up. That could mean one of two things; he didn't want to see her… An invisible fist closed around her heart and an icy chill flowed through her veins. "Is Gunny in the brig?"

"What?" three thoroughly startled Marines all said loudly.

"I…" Victoria suddenly realized that Shyan said no one knew what was going on.

"Victoria, what happened?" Carter stood up and moved to stare down at her. It was a move her oldest brother Christopher did all the time. Trying to get the truth out of her by sheer physical dominance.

"I can't talk about it," she said with a heavy heart. Her friends continued to badger her, but she wasn't listening. _If Dwayne's not in the brig, he doesn't want to be here._

She'd made him do the unthinkable. He'd snapped and nearly killed the leader of one of Atlantis' oldest allies. _Because you were stupid and wandered off because you couldn't overlook a jealous co-worker's comment. _Tears stung her eyes so she shut them quickly while her friends continued to shoot questions at her.

Thankfully, Doctor Keller came in and shooed everyone out.

* * *

Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards stood at attention outside Colonel Sheppard's office for the last hour. John was in a meeting with Mister Woolsey and Colonel Caldwell organizing security for M7G-677. Because this was the _jackpot_ as McKay called it, security was essential. They all believed there were IOA moles on Atlantis, so they let no one speak of the discovery.

_A drone factory._ John shook his head at the luck of the young archaeologist who was in the infirmary. _Well… Luck and the infirmary doesn't go together but damn that girl's in the right place at the right time… all the time._

Jennifer said Rodney nearly passed out when Victoria muttered something about drone production while being carried to the jumper by the man standing outside John's office. John would love to have seen that.

Once Caldwell and Woolsey left, he stepped out of his office. "Master Gunny, come in. Take a seat."

Since he assumed command of Atlantis' military, the big Marine never took the seat he offered, but John felt he needed to keep up the tradition.

"I'll stand." Was the patented response. "Permission to speak freely, sir."

John's eyes widened as he fell into his seat. "Of-of course." That's a phrase Sheppard never heard before.

"I'm willing to stand trial and face whatever punishment the leaders of M7G-677 would hand down, sir. I know the importance of what Victoria found and don't want to stand in the way of the security of Atlantis and Earth." Richards spoke in his normal tone, but something was wrong.

John stared into grey eyes that he'd looked into in the direst of situations. Eyes that for the first time showed an emotion. _Regret_.

"Master Gunny, I have no clue what you're talking about?" Sheppard sat up and crossed his arms on his desk, leaning forward. "Is there something you'd like to add to Major Lorne's report?"

The Marine raised a brow. "_Sir_?"

John stood up so he wasn't _too_ much smaller than the Marine. "Major Lorne reported that you found Doctor Parker in a state of distress. All of you thought she'd been assaulted. A misunderstanding ensued, which was quickly cleared up. You then brought her to the infirmary after she nearly gave McKay a heart attack."

Dwayne raised both brows. "_Misunderstanding_?"

"Direct quote from Lorne's report." John stared back, unblinking.

"Sir…" Richards narrowed his eyes.

"You're the best soldier I've ever had the privilege of serving with. Because of that I'm ordering you to take some of the leave you've got piled up. Go and comfort Victoria now." Sheppard stepped around the desk. "She's been through a lot. Those damned… _sorry_ excuses for soldiers treated her like shit."

Dwayne visibly tensed at John's words.

"It's a good thing she's a lot tougher than she looks," the Colonel said. "Once Teldy gets her eye checked out, she's back on the Daedalus by the way." He chuckled when Richards looked questioningly at him. "Simpson nearly laid her flat. That woman is a force to be reckoned with."

"No wonder the Major is…" Dwayne started.

"_Generous_," the Colonel replied and laughed. His 2IC was whipped and everyone knew it. "Now get the hell out of here."

Richards snapped to attention. "Yes, sir."

John smiled after Master Gunny left and turned to see Major Lorne approach from the other direction. "Major."

"Sir," Evan looked sheepish. "About the report…"

"I only got _one_ email from you today, Major." Johns' hazel eyes bore into the blues of his 2IC. "This matter is closed."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Victoria stood on the barracks level staring around. She'd been released from the infirmary and was escorted to her quarters by Shyan. The young woman was so upset that Dwayne hadn't seen her since he left her in Doctor Keller's care, she said little. The Marine was talking about something, but Victoria didn't hear her.

After waiting in her quarters for a couple of hours, an intuition she'd never had before told her to go to him. _He needs you._ That a man like Richards would need Victoria was ludicrous but she couldn't deny the incredible premonition that he did.

Victoria had never been to the barracks level and was terrified it was off-limits. She'd never been told that, but it seemed like she was breaking the rules. Now that she was there, she was at a loss as to what quarters were his because they didn't have names on them. _What an idiot you are? You can't wander the corridors…_

"Richards is just down the hall from me," Master Sergeant Dixson said as he came up behind her.

"S-sorry." she stammered. Her initial confusion at seeing the Master Sergeant was replaced with gratitude when she realized all the senior Non-commissioned officers would be on the same level. "Is it okay I'm here?"

"Holy…" Dixson gasped when he saw her face. "When's the funeral for whoever did that to you?"

"What?" Victoria suddenly felt the pull of the butterfly bandages on her cheek. "Oh… Just an accident." She touched her cheek and ducked her head.

"No wonder Richards was tearing up everyone in the gym. He must be pissed he didn't keep you safe," Dixson said. He motioned for her to follow him. "His room is two doors from mine."

Her eyes widened at his comment, but she followed after the older man. _Dwayne was in the gym and not with me?_ Confusion reigned as she tentatively reached up to ring the chime. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but her love for him held her firm. If he doesn't want you anymore at least let him know he made you feel special for a while. The sting of tears was back so she shook her head to chase them away.

The door opened and Victoria's eyes widened. She'd seen Dwayne in a t-shirt before but this one seemed to be stuck to him. The wet hair told her he'd just came from the shower and probably pulled it on while wet.

She felt her cheeks flush as she struggled to look at his eyes. They were wide with surprise.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?"

"I…" His reaction was her worst nightmare. '_What are you doing here'_meant he didn't want to see her. "I-I wanted to make sure you were-were o-okay…" She couldn't continue and turned to go.

"Victoria," Dwayne called. "Don't… don't go."

She turned to see him standing in the doorway. His arms hung loosely by his sides, but when his eyes traced over her face his fists clenched.

"How are you?" she asked. It came out weaker than she meant it to.

"How are _you_? You were injured." He turned the question around and stepped back to let her enter.

If Victoria had encountered this situation a month ago, she would have run for the safety of her room, her books and DVDs. But this _new_ Victoria had survived going off world, befriended some tough female Marines and fallen in love with the heroic man before her.

There was no use denying the emotion she felt for Dwayne. Not that she'd ever been in love before but this feeling reminded her of the devotion her parents had for each other. _And there aren't any more star-crossed people in love than my parents._

"I…" She took a moment to look around his spartan quarters. There were a few photos on his desk, a television, small sofa and bed. When her eyes settled on it, she felt a flutter deep in her stomach and heat flood her cheeks. "I was… I didn't…"

"Victoria," his voice was _off_ again.

She quickly turned only to see the bathroom door open and steam on the mirrors, which confirmed her suspicions about the shower. Everywhere she looked things reminded her of the _masculine_ man in the _tiny_ room with her. _What was I thinking?_

"I'd love to know what you're thinking."

Closing her eyes and groaning, Victoria stumbled into his desk chair. "I need to stop…"

Warm hands grasped her arms and held her steady. When she opened her eyes she looked into nearly black ones staring back.

"No, you don't need to stop. It's usually when you talk to yourself that I find out the important details," he said, releasing her and stepping back.

"And that's wrong." Victoria was stung when he stepped away and decided to go for broke. It's obvious he hated her because of what she nearly made him do. "If you love someone you should be able to tell them anything. It shouldn't be hard to speak…"

Her words were lost in the sudden onslaught of Dwayne's lips. They gentled immediately as his hands cradled her face. Her hands immediately gripped his forearms, trying to absorb the strength radiating from him and to stay upright although as he deepened the kiss, thoughts of becoming horizontal flooded her mind.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Is this a better cliffhanger? I'll try to update soon.**


	30. The Past and The Future

**A/N: Thanks again for all the support this story has gotten. I will be honest; this chapter has terrified me since I started writing this. All mistakes are mine, no beta for this one. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Thanks so much to **_**daisyscrapper**_** and _elisaD263_ who said this was worthy of publishing. **

* * *

They'd kissed a lot on their second date but something about this kiss touched Victoria's soul. Dwayne was telling her something if her body would shut up and let her brain figure it out. Being held tightly against his hard body, so close she could feel his heart thundering in his chest, tended to eliminate her higher brain function though.

Her body responded on autopilot. Her mouth opened to allow him to deepen the kiss, her arms slid around his neck and her body molded itself to his. A deep sound reverberated through Gunny's big frame, like a groan, the sound sent a shaft of delicious _power_ through Victoria. _I'm affecting Dwayne, making him enjoy being with me._

As quickly as the kiss came, it was gone. Dwayne pushed her back, resting his hands on her shoulders and hung his head. "I… I shouldn't have done that." His grey eyes were still nearly black but the expression on his face was remorseful.

"O-of course you should. I-I mean you can, if you want… I-I don't-don't mind." Victoria's head was spinning and her heart was breaking.

"Victoria," Dwayne said, closing his eyes but not releasing the gentle grip on her shoulders.

Since she only wore a cotton pullover shirt she could feel the heat from his big hands. The strength and warmth was something she craved, like an addiction. The thought that she might lose it brought tears to her eyes and caused her to tremble.

"Dwayne, why weren't you in the infirmary when I woke up?" Victoria was terrified of the possible answer. _Maybe the kiss was just an adrenaline reaction._ Clenching her fingers into fists to keep from grabbing him, she prepared for the utter destruction of her heart.

"Because I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"_What_?" Victoria was certain Sergeant Dixson heard that down the hall but didn't care. "Dwayne, I…" Saying _I love you_ now seemed more daunting than going through the Star Gate. "I could never _not_ want to see you."

"Victoria, you were terrified of me." He released her and stepped back.

"Dwayne, I wasn't scared of _you_," she pleaded as she stepped forward and reached out to touch his arm. "Please believe me."

His eyes bore into hers, looking for a lie. "What woman wants a man who'd kill because she was injured?"

"You weren't going to kill Ares because of me," she stated. Fear once again gripped her heart and another emotion she was loath to admit existed.

"Trust me, Victoria, I was going to kill him." Dwayne reached up and touched her cheek gently.

"Yes, you were, but it wasn't just because of me." Victoria decided to voice her speculation.

Dwayne froze with his fingers touching her cheek and then assumed his _questioning_ posture.

Victoria dove into her theory. "You were," she swallowed and continued, "avenging someone else too." The emotion she didn't want to name raised its ugly green head. The thought that Dwayne might have loved another in the past and lost her, made Victoria jealous. The Marine made her feel so special, so treasured it tore her up to think he'd made another feel that way too. Tears built up and one trickled down to encounter his fingers.

"Victoria…" Dwayne closed his eyes and clenched his left hand into a fist. "I…"

"It's okay," she cut him off. Victoria didn't want to hear about him losing another woman. Her emotional state was too fragile tonight. _Of course he's loved before you, you idiot. He's at least a dozen years older than you._ After all she was subjected to in the last few days, the scorn and contempt of Juanita and Teldy, the realization of her love for Dwayne and the attack, she was vulnerable. Vulnerable to the insecurity that was always in the back of her mind when it came to this man.

"Victoria, there is no one-and I mean no one- who knows me _now_ that has any idea what happened in my childhood."

"Childhood?" Victoria gasped. Her mind immediately went to a lost love, but Dwayne was battling a demon from his… _youth_?

"Maybe some day I can tell you, but not tonight." He looked deflated, as if he felt like he'd let her down.

"Oh, Dwayne, I'm sorry." All her emotional turmoil was suddenly gone. Knowing Dwayne carried some horrible event with him most of his life, but managed to become the heroic man before her caused her love for him to overwhelm her. She stepped up and threw her arms around him.

He slid his arms around her quickly-as if afraid she'd leave-and buried his face against the soft skin of her neck. His hot breath warming not only the skin it encountered but her whole body.

* * *

They stood like that for some time, wrapped in each other's arms. Each lost in thought as new realizations took hold. Victoria vowed that she would do anything for this man, including honor his inability to discuss the tragedy he'd alluded to from his childhood. Dwayne recognized the emotion he'd felt for the last few days as love, an emotion the Marine never thought he'd encounter.

Victoria was the first to move within his tight embrace. "Do-do you want me to… _go_?"

Dwayne lifted his head, closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "No."

Her eyes widened as anticipation caused reactions throughout her body. "Okay."

Dwayne smiled. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips. "I just want to hold you tonight. That's all. When we first make love it's definitely not going to be after a day like today."

Victoria felt a thrill go through her at his announcement that they were going to make love, but it was tempered by the frustration that it wouldn't be tonight.

"On my honor as a Marine, I won't try anything."

"What if I wanted you to?" Her own eyes widened as she spoke her deepest desire aloud.

Deep laughter issued from him as he pulled her tightly against him. "I do think I can protect myself from you if need be. It'll give me a chance to test out my nickname."

"Nickname?" a thoroughly embarrassed Victoria squeaked.

"Ever heard Carter call me The Man of Steel?"

Before she could answer with more than a laugh, he scooped her up, took two strides over to his bed and set her down. He lay down by her side, stole a chaste kiss, pulled her against him and let out a sigh. "Goodnight, Victoria." Dwayne pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before tucking her head against his chest. "Nice," he muttered as he stroked her back.

Victoria could think of a dozen words more fitting than _nice_ but the fact that she was lying in Dwayne's bed, cradled in his arms, erased her vocabulary and all other thoughts. _Well_… She had one thought but was content to know that it would happen at some point in the future. _Just not too distant future_, a voice that sounded like Dusty said before sleep claimed her.

* * *

**A/N: This should be the end of the story, but I know you will all KILL me if I do that. I have some ideas of Gunny meeting the family and then some other adventures. Should I even ask if you are interested in reading them?**

**Those awaiting a smutty chapter, keep an eye out for **_**RoryFaller**_** to slap together an M-rated tag for this duo at some point. Be sure to harass her until she publishes it. She's already got a teaser a few of you have seen.**


	31. The Parkers

**A/N: The saga continues!**

**I'm sorry to do this, but I'm introducing so many new characters at once in this chapter I feel I need to give you a cheat sheet. Sorry for the sloppy storytelling, but want to make sure you can follow the Parker Clan ;-)**

**John and Sarah Parker- Victoria's parents**

**Christopher and Tricia (Oldest brother and wife)**

**Scotty and Sean (Victoria's nephews/Chris and Tricia's kids)**

**Patrick (Middle brother)**

**Kyle (Youngest brother)**

**Janessa Stuart (Kyle's girlfriend)**

* * *

Glens Falls, New York, Earth

Patrick parked his freshly washed New York State Police cruiser outside his parent's ranch-style home. His younger brother's Jeep was parked next to his Dad's Ford F150 pick-up. Victoria Parker's favorite brother smiled as he pulled his Remington 870 shotgun out of the trunk to set in the holder attached to his rear window.

As he rubbed his hand over his high-and-tight haircut, he heard another vehicle make its way down the long driveway; a large white Cadillac Escalade marked the entrance of his oldest brother.

Christopher was a successful engineer at a pharmaceutical company in Western Connecticut. His wife ran a local art gallery so they enjoyed the finer things in life. It appeared that everyone wanted to be there when Victoria got home that afternoon.

Since Thanksgiving was in two days, it was a surprise that Chris and Tricia had come. School was very important as Chris who wanted two more engineers in the family and Tricia who wanted another artist. For them to pull the boys out of school before the holiday started meant that Patrick's big brother wanted to be part of the _welcome_ planned for Victoria's suitor.

"What's big bro doing here?" Kyle said as he sauntered down the steps. His latest girlfriend, who happened to be a classmate of Victoria's from high school, followed him.

"Same as I am," Patrick answered.

"Hello, Patrick," Janessa Stuart purred.

"Going with red this week?" he said, looking at her freshly colored hair. "Blonds not having much fun anymore?"

"You'd love to know how much fun I can have." She raised her brow and licked her lips. Her skin-tight jeans and low-cut top left little to the imagination.

As she took a drink from a bottle of beer, Patrick rolled his eyes and laughed. He knew the only reason Kyle brought Janessa home was to upset Victoria.

"Is Chris here?" his mom, Sarah, said as she came down out the front door to see the SUV. "John!" she shouted back inside.

"I told him to come early." John Parker made his way out to greet his son. The patriarch of the family had white hair and walked with a slight limp. Years of hard labor in the construction industry left him with lots of aches and pains when cold weather set in.

"Going hunting?" Patrick laughed at his dad who was wearing a camouflage-print jacket.

"Yup," he said. "Got my rifle out to clean it. Thought we'd invite the boy hunting with us."

"You will do no such thing," Mom scolded.

"Nana!" Scotty and Sean screamed as they leapt out of the Escalade.

"_Boy_?" Christopher said as he stopped the help his wife out. "I thought he was older than her?"

Tricia and Christopher were the same height with brown hair and brown eyes, but the similarities ended there, one was a brainy engineer and the other a flighty artist. How they met and fell in love baffled the family, but Tricia made Chris happy so she was welcomed with open arms.

"Be nice," Tricia said. "I'm happy Victoria finally found a man she wanted to bring home to meet you idiots."

"Yes," Sarah said from under the hugs of her grandsons. "I want you all to treat Dwayne with the utmost respect."

"What exactly does Dwayne do, mom?" Kyle asked as he wrapped his arm around Janessa.

"They met at work was all she said," Sarah answered as she greeted her eldest and daughter-in-law with kisses on their cheeks.

"Her _secret_ work," Chris sneered. "I bet she's off in Afghanistan or some place like that, working for some bleeding-heart organization trying to save a statue or something… Ouch!"

Tricia elbowed her husband. "There is nothing wrong with preserving our art history."

"He's a middle-aged, balding, over-weight bookworm," Kyle said.

Janessa giggled. "She's probably his first girlfriend."

"I'm real uncomfortable talking about my baby girl and boyfriends," John said as his grandsons swarmed up the porch and into his arms.

"She's almost thirty, Mister Parker," Janessa said.

"She'll always be our little princess." John's voice hardened. "We won't let anyone hurt her or take advantage of her. The fact that this is the first man Victoria's brought home means she's serious about him."

"Well that's the first bit of truth I've heard all day," Sarah said. "You will all be nice to Dwayne. He's important to Victoria so he's important to _us_." Sarah Parker was petite like her daughter but where Victoria wasn't one to speak her mind, her mother was the opposite. The fire in her voice quieted everyone except her grandson, Scott.

"I'm going to be a Marine, grandpa," the ten-year old stated.

"A Marine?" Sarah said.

"Don't get me started," Chris said, shaking his head.

"Apparently one of his classmate's father just returned from Iraq and spoke at school. It's all Scotty's been able to talk about for days," Tricia added with obvious concern.

"Well, your grandpa's father was a Marine. Did you know that?" John said as he knelt before his oldest grandchild.

"No." His blue eyes widened and his face lit up.

"I thought your father worked in construction, like you?" Tricia asked.

"My real father died on Iwo Jima during World War II. I was about two at the time," he replied, standing up.

"Where they raised the flag?" Scotty asked in awe. "Do you have pictures?"

Patrick smiled as he watched his father turn into a kid and head in the house with Scotty talking about guns and military history. His mother and Tricia went in, leaving him with his brothers and Janessa. "Anyone want to be good cop?"

"Mom and Tricia," Chris said.

"I'll be a good cop too," Janessa said.

"You being _good_?" Patrick responded. "Don't stretch yourself too much."

"I'm good at a lot of things," she said, roving her eyes over his body.

"Just none you can put on a resume," Chris countered.

"You had your chance once," she said. "But you didn't _date_ younger women." With that comment, she turned and sashayed her way back into the house.

"Kyle, you are the lowest form of humanity in existence," Chris said, anger flaring, as he turned on his youngest brother.

"Hey, I don't have fancy cars or get paid to carry firearms. My skills are different," he said without any contempt for his successful brothers.

"If you can call banging sleazy women a skill," Chris said.

"Hot, sleazy women," Kyle countered with a big grin.

"We know what you're doing with Janessa," Patrick added. "We don't agree with your tactics but you're doing it for the right reasons."

Kyle was a night shift manager at the local Wal-Mart. He couldn't compete financially with Chris or have a dangerous job like Patrick, but the one thing he could do was _land hot, sleazy women_. In a demented way, it was Kyle trying to protect Victoria from a less-than-honorable man. _If Janessa couldn't tempt him to stray from baby sis, no one could._

* * *

An hour later Patrick heard a vehicle pull up the drive. Since Dad mentioned hunting, his brothers and he were cleaning guns with his nephews running around impatiently waiting for Aunt Victoria to come bearing gifts.

The women were in the kitchen closest to a window, so they were going to let Janessa and Tricia feed them information. It was decided among the men that Dad needed to be the first to go out and meet him. The brothers would wait until he was brought in the house by their parents.

The sound of a door opening caused Patrick to look at his sister-in-law, mother and Janessa. All three women bore a similar expression after the door slammed shut.

"Oh my," his mom gasped.

"He's-He's..." Tricia couldn't finish the sentence. A look of admiration covered her face. "Wow."

Janessa dropped her beer unnoticed on the floor. Her mouth hung open and Patrick swore he saw drool forming at the corners.

"So what's the loser look like?" Kyle asked with a forced laugh.

"Oh, he's no loser," Tricia said, her tone nearly breathless.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: I apologize again for the sloppiness of introducing the Parker Clan, but hope you realize I'm just trying to help you follow all the names. **

**I will explain how Victoria and Gunny are on Earth in the next chapter. The Parker Clan has been begging to get out of my head for a long, long time now so I had to unleash them.**


	32. Heading Home

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. This chapter gets Victoria and Gunny home so we're going back in time a bit. Thanks for the positive reviews of that crazy lot known as the Parker clan. Thanks to **_**Infinite Freedom**_** for a phrase I'm using from his review and to **_**Betherdy Babe**_** and **_**ElisaD263**_** for brief betas. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Victoria wiggled and let out a laugh as something brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. She felt warm all over and had a moment of disorientation as somebody nibbled on her neck.

A sound like a muffled groan came from the mouth that was doing the nibbling. "Victoria."

"Dwayne," she sighed, hoping she could fall back to sleep after the most peaceful night's rest she had in months.

"Stop squirming," he mumbled as he tightened the hold his arm had around her waist.

"Stop tickling me," she replied, laughter filling her voice.

Dwayne tugged her so she was lying on her back. He was propped up on his left side and his right hand stroked her face.

"I might have been a bit arrogant last night with the Man of Steel stuff," he replied as he wiggled his eyebrows. "I think I've found my kryptonite."

Victoria's eyes widened as the meaning of his words registered. Dwayne wanted her. A slow smile spread across her face. "Should I use my new found power over you?"

"Trust me, Victoria, we don't have time to do what I want to do to you," he growled as he leaned in to kiss her senseless.

Victoria clung to Dwayne and the comfort he provided for her. She knew things were going to go crazy around Atlantis with the discovery of the drone factory and clung to this moment of bliss, just a man and woman sharing a few moments of intimacy. _A lot more than a few minutes if Dwayne has his way. _Her blood pressure increased and a flood of sensations coursed through her body.

When he tried to pull away, she locked her arms behind his neck to hold him close. Her lips followed his and when he finally turned away, she kissed along his jaw.

"Victoria, we need to stop or else you'll be leaving when everyone's in the corridor."

She froze and her head fell back to the pillow. "The barracks. I forgot where I was," she cried as she closed her eyes. "Oh, no-no-no… What am I going to do? Dwayne, I don't want to embarrass you."

"Embarrass me?" he chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Having a beautiful woman leave my quarters would only make me seem even more awesome to the young jar heads around here."

Victoria opened her eyes and saw a smug look on Dwayne's face. There was concern in his grey eyes though. "Don't lie. You are embarrassed…"

"Victoria, I'm more concerned about you being embarrassed."

"Everyone will think we slept together," she gasped.

"We did."

"Not like they'll think." Victoria felt her face turn red. "Is this what they call the _Walk of Shame_?"

Dwayne's eyes narrowed. "Do you have something to be ashamed of?"

"No. I just don't like people speculating too much on my personal life." She settled her hands on his heavily muscled shoulders that seemed to hold a great deal of tension in them.

"I hate to break it to you but since the fights, you and I have been at the heart of a great deal of gossip."

"I know," she groaned, dropping her arms over her eyes and forehead. "Juanita kept saying I was sleeping with you and I'm sure the others thought that too."

"Victoria," Dwayne's voice gentled as he pulled her arm aside. "Look at me."

She opened her blue eyes to look into his.

"You just say the word and no one else will ever think about talking about you again," his voice was full of conviction.

If any other person she'd ever known were to say such a ridiculous statement, Victoria would scoff at them. But Dwayne was unlike anyone she'd ever known. If he said he could halt the gossip, she believed him. "It's okay," she said. "I'm not embarrassed by you. As long as you're not embarrassed by…"

Dwayne swooped in and kissed her insecurities away.

* * *

Twenty-four hours after being in Dwayne's bed she found herself in the Gateroom of Atlantis preparing for a mandatory two-weeks off. It was almost Thanksgiving in the States so a visit to her family wouldn't be too out of the norm. Of course the bruise on her face would be difficult to explain away, but a vehicle accident should suffice.

Victoria fought briefly with Doctor Keller, who told her that a visit home would help her with her trauma after her incident with Ares. She finally relinquished the battle once Jennifer shared with her the story of her attack on New Athos last year. Visiting her father helped her heal quickly, she had said. _Time with Dwayne would help me but that wouldn't happen with her on Earth and him on Atlantis._

Letting out a frustrated sigh at the entire situation, she grabbed her bag as the gate began to dial.

"It's not the end of the world, you know," Dusty said from her wheelchair, her leg still in a cast.

"Yeah, you could be spending Thanksgiving at the SGC with me and Dusty," Carter added when he walked in.

"That's worse than spending it on a Hive ship," Dwayne's deep voice added.

Victoria spun around quickly because she hadn't seen him since he escorted her to her quarters. When she was told to go home, Mister Woolsey said the dial-out to Earth was around noon so she didn't have time to contact Dwayne. He was off duty so her only way to reach him was email and he didn't respond. It broke her heart that she was going to leave without saying good-bye in person.

"Are you heading back, too?" Carter asked.

"Been ordered to take some of my leave as well," he said, casting a glance at Victoria.

"You didn't say anything this morning," she said.

Carter laughed so Dusty swung her arm and hit him in the stomach. "Ow. Hey, that was almost below the belt."

"In your dreams, Carter," Dusty shot back. She winked at Victoria, who was horrified she mentioned anything about where she was in the morning to those two.

"When it's just the two of us, I'll let you know what goes on in my dreams," he said in a husky whisper.

"I'll be happy to tell you mine," Dusty said with a smirk. "You usually end up castrated."

"That happens in some of my dreams, too," Dwayne said with his usual deadpan delivery.

Laughter filled the room, but Victoria was still so shocked with his surprise arrival that he had to push her toward the gate with one hand on her back. He grabbed her bag and swung it over his shoulder with his own. "Let's get you on your way to New York."

* * *

Several hours later, Victoria found herself seated in a black F250 on her way north on Interstate Highway 87 to Glen's Falls, New York. The driver was none other than the man she slept with the night before. The Sun Tzu was used to beam her and Dwayne to a safe house north of New York City where they could take a vehicle and blend into society.

At the SGC, Dusty mentioned going to visit her family. Carter said he'd be staying on base with Gunny since neither of them had any family to visit for the holiday.

Victoria immediately told them they could come home with her. Dusty chimed in that you'd only bring Carter home if you wanted to piss someone off and then suggested he accompany her. Her mother had been bugging her about getting married. "Carter should do the trick and shut her up," Dusty offered her in confidence.

The archaeologist said that she'd try to visit Dusty during the second week to rescue her. "My mother will have thrown me and Carter out long before then."

"Well you can join us if you'd like as well. We always have tons of food," Victoria replied.

"I think you'll have enough fun explaining Master Gunny to them," Dusty said with a huge grin. "I have to say you're much more composed that I'd be bringing my boyfriend home."

Victoria called her mom to say she was bringing a friend from work with her. Sarah Parker nearly squealed with delight and Victoria felt anxiety settle over her. She was quiet for most of the ride.

"Having second thoughts?" Dwayne said as they barreled north.

"Sort of. I'm not sure I know what I'll be subjecting you to," Victoria said with a laugh. "I've never brought anyone home with me."

"Even when you were in high school?"

"I didn't date in high school. My father worked construction; Chris and Patrick played football and worked out. If a guy ever got over me being so much smarter than him, there was still no way a teenaged boy would go up against them," she explained.

"What about college?"

"I had more important things going on in college." Victoria glanced out the window. "Boy that sounds pathetic."

"Not at all. I never brought anyone home either," Dwayne added.

"Did you live with your grandmother?" Victoria took the brief opening in his armor as a sign he might be willing to discuss his family. It was hard to believe it was just last night that he'd opened up about a tragedy in his past.

"For a while." Dwayne glanced at the GPS, which showed their exit coming up.

"And she taught you to be so well-mannered that you'd never do anything bad," Victoria said.

Dwayne laughed that rare, deep booming laugh that caused Victoria to turn to jelly. "She tried."

"I'd say she did a good job," Victoria muttered, frustration over his _gentlemanly_ ways filtering through.

He laughed again. "Should I tell your mom to give me a room with a lock on the door in case you want to test your _power_ over me?"

Victoria was still red-faced as they approached her driveway ten miles later.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for another filler chapter, but they must be done.**


	33. Gunny Meets the Parkers

**A/N: I am so sorry for the huge delay in this story. I had planned on ending it before this visit home, but gave in the begging and pleading so I continued. I just don't have a real plan for where to take it so updates are slow to come. I also got sucked into **_**Terra Nova**_**, a show where people travel back to the dinosaur times (those who know me, know I love dinosaurs). Anyways, I took lovable Sergeant Carter with me and I'm spinning a romance for him in that fandom. **

**So I apologize again and will try to come up with another adventure for Victoria and Gunny. **

**Thanks **_**NurseKelly**_** for helping me over a writer's block in this story.**

* * *

Victoria heard the front door of the house as Dwayne offered her a hand to get down from the big black truck he rented. Her stomach was in turmoil and she thought she might throw up. "This was a bad idea. Why did I do this?"

"I'm asking myself the same thing," Dwayne said quietly with a wink. "Never met _the family_ before."

Victoria looked into clear grey eyes and felt her heart go out to Dwayne. She'd told him and the guys tons of horror stories about her brothers and now she expected this man to meet them. _The man who nearly killed someone when he harmed her. What's he gonna do when Kyle starts in on me? Stupid, stupid idea, Victoria,_ she scolded herself.

"Aunt Victoria," two little voices squealed. Her ten and eight-year-old nephews bounded down the pavers to her.

"Scotty, Sean," she replied as Dwayne stepped back to let the little boys swarm around her. "I didn't know you'd be here so soon."

She caught Dwayne's eye as they crushed her in a hug. _I didn't get them gifts yet_, she mouthed to the Marine.

Dwayne smiled and shook his head as if to say, _Don't worry about it._

The door opened again and Victoria saw her mother and father come out of the house. She knew things were gonna go down hill fast because her father had on his hunting jacket. _At least Dwayne won't be intimidated by the arsenal Dad has._

"Who are you?" Scott asked, his voice as suspicious as a ten-year-old's could be.

"Scott and Sean," Victoria pointed from the tallest to the shortest as she introduced them. "This is…"

Dwayne snapped to attention, even saluting. "Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards at your service, sirs."

Sean laughed and Scotty's eyes widened like he'd just received the greatest gift ever. "You-you're a Marine!"

"Over twenty years in the Corp, sir."

"A Marine? Why the hell are there Marines stationed with you?" her father growled as he and her mom came up to them.

"John, really. Is it necessary to be so angry right away?" her mother scolded. "Sweetie, we missed you?" Sarah engulfed her daughter in a huge hug and shot a warm smile at Dwayne. "I'm Sarah and this is my husband John."

"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Dwayne shook her mom's hand causing a blush to cover the older woman's cheeks. "Sir, I'm not sure if Victoria told you but we can't discuss anything about our jobs."

"Oh, she's told me." Her father nodded and took Dwayne's hand.

"Sweetie, what happened to your face?" Her mother's brown eyes didn't miss the healing scratch on her face.

"I fell on a vine at the dig site," Victoria quickly replied. Dwayne told her to tell most of the truth otherwise it would be too hard to keep a lie going.

"Don't worry, sir, I chopped it to pieces so it won't harm her again."

A gruff laugh that Victoria hadn't heard in ages came from her father. He turned and hugged his daughter tightly. "I'm so glad you're home."

Victoria teared up because there was a slight break in her dad's voice. "I've missed everyone."

"I doubt you'll miss your brothers in a few minutes." He moved back and kept an arm around his little girl's shoulder. "I should warn you this will be worse than Paris Island."

"Victoria's worth whatever your sons can throw at me, sir." Dwayne smiled to her parents.

Victoria's jaw almost fell open and if it wasn't for Scotty suddenly bombarding Dwayne with questions about how to become a Marine, she would have gasped.

"My grandson wants to be a Marine," her father said.

"That's right. Mike's dad just came back from Iraq and he wore his uniform to school. It was really cool."

"I'll tell you what," Dwayne offered. "I need to go through a bunch of tests with your father and uncles. If I pass, I'll be sure to tell you lots of stories about life in the Corp."

"You'll pass. Grandpa likes you so Dad, Uncle Patrick and Kyle can't do anything," Sean explained.

"I never said I liked him," her father said with a wink at Dwayne.

"He's a Marine like your dad. You have to like him," Sean reasoned.

"Grandpa was a Marine?" Victoria stopped walking in shock.

"My father was. He was killed in World War II."

Victoria's eyes widened. She'd entirely forgotten that the man she knew as her grandfather wasn't her father's birth father. _How could I forget something so significant? Because as soon as Dwayne smiled at you, you lost most of your senses._

"One of my grandfathers died on D-Day."

Victoria was stunned again that Dwayne offered more details about his guarded past.

"It looks like we've got plenty to talk about," her father paused, "I'm not sure if I should address you by your rank or your name."

"You can call me whatever you'd like, sir, as long as it can be spoken in front of the ladies."

Once again her father laughed heartily and he squeezed Victoria's shoulders. "I'll keep it clean."

"After you, Mrs. Parker," Dwayne held open the screen door for Victoria's mom.

"Handsome and polite," her mother said with a grin directed at her daughter. "I see you have my good taste in men."

Victoria felt her face flame as her father and Dwayne chuckled at her mother's boldness. At least Dwayne had the wherewithal to look slightly embarrassed as well.

* * *

When they stepped in the house, Victoria was behind her mother and saw Kyle, Patrick and Chris, along with Tricia. A redheaded woman stood with wide eyes and a look of lust on her face when she saw Dwayne. Victoria felt the hair on her neck rise up and the desire to slug this sleazy woman nearly overwhelmed her. _So this is what Kyle has planned. Bring some bimbo home to tempt Dwayne away from his mousy sister. Oh I hate him._

"Boys, this is Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards of the United States Marine Corp. I expect you to show him the respect his rank deserves." John's voice boomed through the house.

All of Victoria's brothers looked shocked and Tricia looked crestfallen. Victoria was surprised her sister-in-law wasn't supportive. She'd always commented that she knew people to introduce Victoria to and seemed to want her to find a boyfriend.

"I get to spent the whole weekend with a real, live Marine," Scotty announced as he straightened up as high as he could.

"It's nice to meet you," Tricia said with a look of defeat about her.

Victoria suddenly realized what the problem must be._ Scotty's fascinated with being a soldier and Tricia is terrified. She always said she wanted at least one artist in the family. _"Tricia runs an art gallery in Connecticut."

"My immediate CO is a painter. He does landscapes. His mother was an art teacher." Dwayne addressed Scotty by describing Major Lorne.

"I thought art was for sissies," he said as his mother gasped.

"I wouldn't call the Major a sissy if I were you," he scolded. "Do you think he's a sissy, Victoria?"

"No. He's a pretty tough guy," she said as she imagined Major Lorne.

"N-no. Of course not. I just didn't think you could paint and be a soldier."

Victoria saw Tricia brighten and couldn't help but notice Christopher's demeanor darken. Kyle looked uncertain and Patrick started to smile.

"I'm Patrick. This is Christopher and Kyle." He motioned to his brothers.

"And I'm Janessa Stuart. I went to high school with our little Tori," she purred, offering her hand.

Dwayne shook Patrick's hand and her brothers' before he took Janessa's. Of course the bitch held on a bit longer and batted her fake lashes.

Victoria seldom harbored ill will for anyone, but Janessa Stuart was a bully that tormented her in school. They always ended up in the same homeroom and elective classes. The quiet girl took the brunt of ridicule about her height, lack of a figure and any other demeaning thing Janessa could come up with.

As Patrick, Tricia and Christopher came forward to hug her, her eyes locked with Janessa who winked. When Kyle stepped up Victoria muttered. "Thanks for ruining my visit."

"Did you pay him to come home with you?" Kyle whispered back, so no one could hear.

Victoria knew there was no way she wasn't going to be upset when Kyle released her so she held on a moment longer. "Why don't you ask him that?" she challenged.

Kyle looked concerned when he let his little sister go, but in typical fashion he faced Dwayne and ran off his big mouth. "So, Richards, are you really dating my sister?"

"Kyle!" John Parker roared.

"Come on. Who believes that Victoria would date a Marine?" Kyle asked looking around. Of course Janessa shook her red mane and licked her lips.

"Kyle, shut it," Patrick snapped.

Dwayne remained quiet and his face didn't twitch. Victoria knew him well enough to know he wouldn't strike her brother, but Kyle and her family didn't know that.

"I'm sorry, Dwayne. My youngest was dropped on his head too many times as a baby," her father offered as he glowered at his youngest son.

"I'd like to hear the answer to Kyle's question," Christopher replied. "What do you see in my sister?"

"Enough. Dwayne's…" she started, only to be cut off by Dwayne.

"It's all right, Victoria. If I had a younger sister, I'd be just as protective." His eyes studied each of her brothers, assessing their threat level.

"Kyle's being a jerk," she huffed as she crossed her arms and walked over to stand next to Dwayne.

Dwayne offered her a smile and then looked back at Kyle and Christopher. He didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes and pinned her brothers with his steely gaze.

She saw Kyle swallow and shift around, but Christopher crossed his arms.

"The question shouldn't be what do I see in Victoria, but what _don't_ you see? If you knew Victoria like I do, if you'd seen the amazing discoveries she made and how she puts herself out there to help her teammates, you wouldn't be asking me that question. Your sister's dedication to her friends, her tenacity and incredible strength in the face of any type of adversity would interest any man, soldier or civilian. So yes, Victoria and I are most definitely dating." He glanced at her and winked.

Christopher seemed to relax somewhat. "So, a Master Gunnery Sergeant. That sounds pretty significant."

"It's one of the highest ranked non-commissioned officers, Dad," Scotty offered.

"You know the Marines pretty well, young man." Dwayne smiled at her nephew.

"I still don't believe it." Kyle crossed his arms.

"If you expect a demonstration of my feelings for your sister, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. I wouldn't reduce your sister to being an object in our pissing match. The fact that you would means I might have to dishonor your parents' hospitality by reducing the size of their family by one." Dwayne had the same steady tone of voice and expression she'd seen when he addressed Carter after the Sergeant said something particularly outrageous.

Victoria was in shock. First Dwayne complimented her, admitted to her entire family that they were dating and now he threatened to kill Kyle. "He's joking."

"No he's not," Patrick replied, barely controlled laughter in his voice.

"It's about damned time someone made Kyle piss his pants," her father added as he slapped Dwayne on the back. "I see you won't let anyone disrespect my little girl. That makes you my new best friend."

Victoria's mother, Tricia and even Christopher offered Dwayne thanks for putting Kyle in his place.

Dwayne stepped up to Kyle and offered his hand.

"I didn't," Kyle stammered, obviously shaken.

"Didn't what?" Victoria asked.

"Pee his pants," little Sean said.

Laughter filled the family room.

* * *

An afternoon of total embarrassment because Dad pulled out the photos of _baby Victoria_ led to a long night of embarrassing stories. Add in the glares from Janessa and Victoria was left mentally as well as physically exhausted. She had started the day in another galaxy after all.

Her mother had led Dwayne toward the guest room on the first floor about a half hour ago. She had been cornered by Patrick and Christopher and drilled about her _future _plans with Dwayne. It was the final grilling that she could take for the day and finally left, heading off to bed.

Her old room was across the hall from the guest room and Victoria realized she could sneak over to see Gunny if she wanted to. Anticipation rose at being able to see Dwayne alone for a little bit of time in her parent's house. She stopped in front of the guest room and reached for the doorknob.

Disappointment flooded her when she found the door locked. Their morning conversation came to mind and she huffed in frustration.

Victoria entered her room and didn't turn on the lights. She knew the way to the small bathroom that was built for her because her parents wanted her to have a retreat from her brothers when she became a teen. The glare of the bathroom lights once she put it on blinded her for a minute.

An arm snaked around her waist and a hand gently covered her mouth. "I just don't want you to scream or all the goodwill I built with your father and brothers will be done. Apparently your mother isn't as old-fashioned as I thought she was." Dwayne's voice rumbled through her body as he pulled her tightly against his chest. His hand dropped immediately from her mouth and slid down her arm until both his arms were wrapped around her midsection.

Victoria looked in the mirror to see that he had no shirt on and appeared to be wearing only boxers. Her body trembled at the implications of his nearly naked state in her room.

"My mother…"

"Either wants me dead or wants grandchildren… _soon_," he mumbled as his lowered his head and his lips claimed her neck.

Victoria strained against the hold he had on her arms. She desperately wanted to twist around and kiss him. She released a moan at the feel of his mouth on her flesh. A part of her was horrified that this was happening beneath her parents' room, which sat above hers, and another part found the idea of making love to Dwayne in her bed delightfully naughty.

"Don't get any ideas, Doctor Parker," Dwayne growled when he looked at their reflections.

Victoria put on her most innocent expression. "Would Lois Lane ever tempt Superman?"

"I'm a dead man," he said before he allowed her to turn and claimed her mouth in a heart-stopping kiss.

TBC

* * *

**A/N: I'm back with my cliffhangers too. Anyone who really knows me knows how this will end. Now if I were my friend **_**RoryFaller**_** this story would go up a rating in the next chapter ;-) **

**I hope I'm not too rusty to write Gunny and Victoria. Drop a review and let me know. **


	34. Victoria Surprises Her Family

**A/N: ****Thanks again for the wonderful support this story has gotten over the years. **

**Sorry for the short update, but I had a question for all of you at the end that I wanted to get out there. **

**Warning: Some of this**** chapter is very, **_**very**_** T, as T as it can get without being M.**

* * *

It had been a day since they last kissed this passionately. Now that they were off Atlantis, all their guarded behavior while on base was gone. Dwayne practically devoured Victoria's mouth with his lips and tongue.

Dwayne's strong hands slid down her back, mapping her spine and tracing the curve of her backside. He lifted her effortlessly to sit on the bathroom counter, putting her at his height if not a bit taller.

Her tongue was otherwise occupied or else she would have gasped at the suddenly intimate contact, but she was engrossed in making the big Marine moan as she met him thrust-for-thrust with her tongue. Her hands slid around his body, across powerful broad shoulders, naked for the first time to her touch, and up his neck to rub against his bristly haircut. The sensations she got from touching the solid muscles, feeling their hardness with no barriers only fed the feelings of pure ecstasy racing through her body.

Dwayne pulled back enough for them to breathe. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself," he confessed as he swooped in to kiss the juncture of her neck and shoulder, making her muffle a cry against his shoulder and squirm. "I guess I'm not a very good Man of Steel after all."

Since his arms pressed her tightly against his body, Victoria felt the level of his desire for her. Instead of fear forming in her gut like when she was in college, she felt only desire to maintain the contact.

A lack of experience didn't matter to Victoria nor did the fact that she was softly moaning. The sensory overload from his mouth and tongue on her neck, finding and turning on nerves she never knew existed, coupled with the intimate contact sent her spiraling out of control. A feeling so intense, so pleasurable that her fingers bit into Dwayne's shoulders rocked her body and she lost all touch with reality. His lips left her neck to reclaim her mouth, lest her family show up at her door and kill him.

After what felt like an eternity in the stars, she floated back to reality. Dwayne's lips softened and nibbled gently at hers, occasionally catching her tongue as it darted over his own. His hands moved up her back in soothing motions meant to calm and reassure.

When intelligent thought returned, she found her head cradled in the crook of his neck. One hand stroked her hair as the other rubbed up and down her spine. Her legs had fallen to dangle lifelessly off the counter with Dwayne standing between them. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his muscular torso.

"I didn't mean for that to happen, sweetheart," his voice rumbled under her ear and a kiss was pressed against her slightly damp forehead.

_Sweetheart?_ Her eyes flew open and she moved to look into eyes that were black, with a sliver of grey ringing the black pupils. The warmth in her heart at his use of an endearment sent a shiver through her. "I never knew that could happen with clothes on," she confessed. Her hands weakly slid into place on his broad shoulders.

Dwayne chuckled as he continued to press kisses to her forehead and stroke her hair. "Been a long time for you?"

"Um…" Victoria was suddenly self-conscious. _How do you explain you're almost thirty and still a virgin? _"I…" Realizing she had nothing to be ashamed of she swallowed, smiled and told the truth. "I've never done that before."

Dwayne pushed her back so he could look into her eyes. A smile spread over his face, eliminated Victoria's fear.

"I am the luckiest man alive," he said as he kissed her gently.

* * *

The next morning a glowing Victoria Parker got up to get two cups of coffee to bring to her room before the rest of the family woke up. While nothing other than some cuddling happened after her _bathroom encounter_, as she would call if for the rest of her life, she couldn't help but feel something changed in her life. She connected with Dwayne in a primitive, yet intensely intimate fashion and it seemed to strengthen the love she felt for him.

"You little faker," Kyle's voice sneered from behind.

Victoria spun around and leveled her brother with a glare. "What are you talking about?"

"Janessa and I were across the hall. I can't believe you slept with your boyfriend under Mom and Dad's bedroom. You've got incredible nerve. What do you think Patrick or Chris or Dad would do if they found out?" he threatened.

Victoria stood up to her full height, still five inches less than her brother and said, "Do you seriously think they'd believe you?"

Doubt flashed over Kyle's features.

"Not to mention if you upset Victoria, I could lose all control and teach you a lesson about being respectful," Dwayne's deep voice sent a look of terror across her brother's face.

Victoria fought hard not to smile, but couldn't help herself.

Kyle glared, but then a grin split his features as he turned and offered his hand to Dwayne. "We all have our ways of protecting our little sisters."

"And yours is just as warped as you are," Victoria finished.

"Apology accepted, sis?" Kyle turned and held his hands out. When Victoria hugged him, he whispered in her ear, "You're almost as loud as mom. It must run in the family."

"That's gross!" Victoria pulled back and slugged him – _hard_ – in the shoulder. She felt her face flame.

"I thought I heard voices," her mother said from the hallway.

"Sorry to wake you, Mrs. Parker," Dwayne replied.

"It's good my husband's got bad hearing." Sarah Parker winked and then started pulling things out of the fridge for breakfast, leaving three stunned individuals staring at her back.

* * *

Janessa came into the dining room for breakfast in a tank top covered by a black leather vest. She offered a seductive smile at Dwayne before sitting across from him and Victoria.

"Miss Stuart, I'm not sure that clothing is appropriate for the firing range." Dwayne spoke without making eye contact and while cutting up Canadian bacon on his plate.

Several people coughed around the table.

"I've gone shooting in a lot less than this," Janessa said.

"Not with the lights on, I bet?" Christopher added.

More laughter spread around the table and Janessa seemed to bask in it.

Victoria quietly steamed that Janessa was going to be hanging around Dwayne all day. She wasn't afraid Dwayne would ever show interest in the nasty woman, but it was upsetting to spend the day preparing for Thanksgiving with _the woman_, while Janessa spent the day with Dwayne and the guys.

"Mister Parker, do you have a handgun?" Dwayne asked.

"I've got several. Why? You want to take one to the range?" John Parker asked.

"Victoria only knows how to use a hand gun," Dwayne stated.

"You taught my sister how to shoot?" Kyle gasped.

"She's a natural once she got the knack of it." Dwayne looked at Victoria as she turned scarlet again.

"That's wonderful," John replied. "You don't know how long I've tried to get Victoria into shooting. My hat's off to you, son."

"I echo what Dad said. I'm really happy our little Victoria can defend herself with a weapon as well as her intelligence," Christopher added.

Dwayne winked at her and offered her a warm smile that melted her fear at being put on the spot with her family.

"Hey, Kyle, if you want my bullet-proof vest its in the car," Patrick said as he shot Richards' a salute and the entire room erupted in laughter.

* * *

**A/N: I need to share with you that this story is almost over. I'm sorry, but there is no way I can keep it going and keep it fresh. **

**I had an idea and wanted to know what you thought. I adore the first season of Atlantis when they are stranded in a strange place with no way home. Would you be interested in a re-launch, if you will, of Below Deck set during Season 1? Same characters minus a few (no Lorne) and different set-ups, but still Victoria Parker the archaeologist and Marine Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards. Drop me a review or PM and let me know your thoughts. Thanks!**


	35. A Sign of Gunny's Love

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay. And without any fanfare, here is the final chapter of **_**Below Decks.**_

* * *

Victoria was jarred awake when the truck she was riding in stopped in front of a church. She shook the sleep out of her eyes. After a wonderful Thanksgiving with her family and a few days of relaxation over the course of the weekend, she and Dwayne headed for Iowa.

Dwayne wanted to drive and Victoria didn't mind spending all that time alone with him. They took two days for the drive, spending the night in a hotel. They slept in the same bed, but Dwayne wasn't as physical as he was the first night at her parents' house. He said he couldn't go to Granny Richards' place after behaving like a horny teenager.

Victoria was getting annoyed, but understood. She was horrified that she lost control in her parents' house as well.

"Where are we?" she asked. The sun was setting behind a small church, so it had to be late afternoon.

"You brought me to visit your family." Dwayne shut the vehicle off and looked into her eyes before glancing past her.

Victoria furrowed her brow and looked out the window, following his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him look at the stone gate of the graveyard behind the church. Tears flooded her eyes. She imagined his family might be dead, but wasn't prepared for this. "You don't…"

"Yes, I do," he interrupted. Dwayne reached over to take her hand and squeeze it. "I've never come here with anyone. _Ever_."

Victoria realized what he was saying and she felt honored. Tears slid out of her eyes as she gazed into his steel-grey ones. She leaned across the seat and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you."

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

Victoria clutched his hand as they walked in silence through the old graveyard. As an archaeologist she loved to wander through old cemeteries and try to imagine the stories behind the names. Now she was going to see a part of Dwayne's past that he hadn't shared with anyone.

They entered a gated section and walked to a large stone tablet with a Marine Corp emblem on it and an American flag in a holder. It said WWII Veteran on the clip.

SGT. MARION EDWARD RICHARDS

ELEANOR DORTHEA PORTER RICHARDS

"Granny Richards," Victoria said when she saw the date of death as barely over twenty years ago. "Is this the grandfather who was in World War II?"

"He died in France."

"She lived almost all her life without him," Victoria whispered.

"And talked about him every day." Dwayne slid his arms around her waist from behind. His solid frame blocked out the cool breeze that blew around them.

Victoria couldn't talk, so she only nodded.

He moved to the next grave. The stone on this one was larger and contained spaces for four names, but only three were occupied.

JULIA LYNN SPRINGER RICHARDS

JENNIFER SUE RICHARDS

RUSSELL ALAN RICHARDS

Victoria gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth and tears started pouring down her cheeks. "Jennifer and Russell. They were…"

"Five and six when they died."

The date of death was identical for Dwayne's mother and siblings. He must have been only ten years old. A sob shook her body, so Dwayne turned her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

Victoria didn't know how long they stood there. She cried over the pain he had to deal with in his past. Now she knew the battle he was raging in the temple with Ares on M7G-677. _He was fighting for his family and obviously lost._

"The old man is somewhere around here," Dwayne said. His arms tightened around her even more.

"Your father?" she asked as she moved back to look into his face.

"He was never my father," Dwayne replied, his eyes staring into the darkening skies.

"What?"

"He beat my mother and me almost every day."

Victoria gasped again. _How did he survive so much pain and become the honorable man before her? _He pulled her to him again and cradled her head against his chest.

"I made sure he never touched Jennifer or Russ. I was over five feet tall when I was ten, so I took most of the beatings."

She buried her head against his chest and clung to him. Her quiet sobs were the only sound besides the beating of his heart. The chill of the late November evening wasn't nearly as cold as the sound of Dwayne's voice.

"One day, I fought back. Grabbed a baseball bat and probably broke some of his ribs." Dwayne's voice had a strange waver to it.

Victoria rubbed her hands up and down his back. One of his hands slid into her hair and the other held her tightly around the waist. The contact must have done something because he started speaking again.

"I made it to my grandparents' farm before I heard sirens. The crazy, drunken bastard set the house on fire."

There were no more words. Victoria knew how the story ended because it was written in stone next to them.

* * *

They drove into a darkened farmyard. It contained a large two-story farmhouse, surrounded by several barns.

Dwayne had inherited it from his grandmother. Some of the neighbors rent the fields for growing corn and use the pasture for their cows. One of them took care of the house to make sure it didn't fall apart.

Trying to imagine _Dwayne The Farmer_ was too difficult for Victoria to get her mind around.

Victoria finally stopped crying over his lost childhood and started crying for another reason. The revelation of his past was Dwayne's way of letting her know he loved her. She wasn't expected him to say it. After growing up as he did, it was possible he had no idea what true love really was.

As they sat in the truck, Victoria realized what she needed to do. _It's time you show him you love him. He is a man of action after all. _ "Do you want to get out?"

"There's nothing here for me," he replied.

"I'm here," Victoria moved so she was next to him on the bench seat in the truck. Her hand reached out and stroked his face.

"I know that…"

She cut him off with a kiss. It started gentle, but the passion she'd held in while sleeping in his arms the last few nights took over. Victoria slid further across the seat so her thigh was pressing against Dwayne's and her arms could slide around his neck. His arms slid around her while she mated their mouths.

"Victoria," he growled when she came up for air. "You don't have to." He could always read her like a book.

"You shared everything with me," she said as she trailed open-mouthed kisses along his stubbly jaw. "I want share my body with you because I love you."

"I'm not making love to you in an empty farmhouse." His actions didn't match his words, his hands dragging her across his lap and his mouth reclaiming her mouth.

"How about the hay barn?" she asked, continuing to kiss him.

He pushed her back and quirked one brow.

Victoria smiled. "I'll race you to the barn."

* * *

Three months later, the Wraith had developed a Hive ship with hyperdrive capabilities and was on a course for Earth. Of course Atlantis was the only thing to prevent the annihilation of mankind.

Victoria knew she should stay in her quarters_. Their quarters._ Even though they didn't officially live together his basic necessities were lined up alongside hers in the bathroom. He'd taken over one drawer – second from the bottom – in her bureau and four hangers in the closet.

Tears threatened to cloud her vision as she marched purposely down the hall toward the Gateroom. She and Dwayne had kept their relationship as low-key as possible in a small town of barely a thousand people. They ate together, went to events together, had friends over for dinner and even entered a pool tournament as partners, but they never showed their feelings outwardly. In the privacy of their quarters they were as physical as two people could get.

The small strike team that was assembling to invade the Super Hive stood checking their gear before they entered the Gateroom. Doctor Keller was fussing over Rodney McKay's tack vest. Pamela had Lorne pinned against the wall with a look that warned him he'd be a dead man if he didn't return. Ronon and Teyla were already in the Gateroom. Will, Robert and Dwayne were doing what they'd done over a hundred times before going into danger. The band of brothers stood off to the side checking their weapons and trying to ignore the absence of Chris Raven, who had remained with the _Daedalus_ and his injured wife.

Victoria walked past her friends as they said _hello_. Her eyes set on only one thing: the tall muscular man with grey eyes who looked at her with such tenderness that a tear managed to escape. The look set her legs into motion and she ran the last few feet.

Dwayne's weapon was dropped to hang from its strap on his shoulder. His hands met her waist as her hands clutched his vest. Their combined momentum brought their lips together halfway between their respective heights.

If the assault Gunny and the others were mounting on the Hive ship had a quarter of the energy in their kiss, the Wraith stood no chance in hell of surviving. They devoured one another, oblivious to those around them or the impending battle that Dwayne was most likely never coming back from. That thought took up residence when they separated from the kiss.

"I love you," Victoria said quietly as she hugged him tightly.

"I…" Dwayne whispered next to her ear.

"Tell me when you come back," Victoria choked out as she pulled back.

They separated reluctantly in an empty corridor. Dwayne's eyes saddened and he opened his mouth to speak.

"I mean it. Tell me when you get back." Victoria had waited all her life to hear those three words, but she couldn't – _wouldn't_ – let them be the last thing she heard from Dwayne. Her fingers stopped him from speaking. "Just come back to me."

He reached inside his shirt and tore off his tags. He pressed them into her hands. "I'll always be with you." Framing her face with his hands he kissed her gently, tasting her salty tears.

Victoria kept her eyes closed as he walked away. An old saying that she once heard said, that if you watched someone until they were out of sight they would never come back. She didn't want to take that chance so she clutched his tags and sobbed.

* * *

Victoria, Pamela and Jennifer waited for the men they loved to walk through the puddle and into their arms. One by one the men arrived with Richards bring up the rear. He had a limp and his uniform had a couple of tears in it but was otherwise unscathed.

Tears of joy fell this time as Victoria raced to his waiting arms. He caught her and picked her up, crushing her to his chest.

"I love you, Victoria Parker!" he bellowed so it echoed through the Gateroom.

"I love you too!" Victoria responded in similar fashion before her lips crashed into his.

The archaeologist and her Marine stood kissing long after the others had left.

* * *

Hours later while still in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Dwayne asked Victoria a question he thought he'd never get the chance to ask.

Victoria's affirmative reply prompted another round of lovemaking so it was well into the next afternoon before they appeared to tell all their friends that they'd be getting married shortly. Since Vegas was now a short jumper flight away and Rodney and Jennifer said they'd split the cost to Sheppard for the lift – an autographed Johnny Cash album and a premium tee-time at a Palm Springs golf resort. The normally reserved couple threw caution to the wind and went with it.

Ten hours later, Dwayne Richards once again repeated the words that Victoria made him wait to tell her. And he'd repeat them to her every day for the rest of their lives.

* * *

**A/N: This has truly been a labor of love! Thank all of you who helped with this story: my awesome team of betas and all you amazing fans that fell in love with Master Gunny. **

**I am going to attempt a re-launch set during Season 1 of SGA. Obviously Victoria, who is so devoted to her family, will have to have a slightly different back-story and Gunnery Sergeant Richards will be different. I love these two more than all of you, so I won't do anything too crazy.**


	36. Epilogue

**A/N: I couldn't leave this story without closure for another couple. **

* * *

"We are officially moved in." Victoria emptied a crate of wedding dishes in their off-base housing unit.

"We moved in last week," Dwayne said from his position in front of the stove preparing dinner.

"We're not officially moved in until the last box has been emptied," she said, sidling up to him, looking at the stir fry and reaching for a piece of carrot.

"No picking," Dwayne scolded as he grabbed her hand.

"Maybe I just want you to hold my hand." A mischievous grin took over her features as her husband leaned down to kiss her.

The doorbell rang. Someone was repeatedly pressing it. Dwayne stiffened and pushed Victoria toward the back of the house. He motioned for her to remain quiet as he moved soundlessly to the dining room. From the window, he could see who was at the front door. A scowl overtook his face and anger flashed in his eyes for a second.

"No! You can't go. This is our honeymoon," Victoria whined like a petulant child.

"It's not Colonel Mitchell," he replied as he headed toward the door. "Better add some food to the stir fry."

"Who is it?"

"Gunnery Sergeant Will Carter."

"There's just something wrong about Will being the new Gunny," Victoria said, heading to the fridge.

"Will, what's wrong?" The second Victoria saw the blond soldier, her caring nature took over. She rushed to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

Sergeant Carter was trembling and his eyes were staring straight ahead. It looked like he's seen a ghost.

"She-she…" he muttered as he slumped onto the sofa, his face falling into his hands.

"Who?" Victoria sat next to him, rubbing his back, and looking at her husband.

"She…" Will muttered again.

"Dusty." Dwayne raised his brow and stood over them with arms crossed.

"I didn't realize they were going out." She continued her gentle contact. "I'm sorry, Will."

"No… we… your wedding," he muttered still trembling and holding his head in his hands.

"What about our wedding?" Victoria asked. She and Dwayne had a big wedding with her family two months ago on the shores of Lake George, New York. Her family wasn't happy with the quick Vegas wedding and demanded they do it right.

"We…" Will shuddered and sat up. "We had a bit too much to drink…"

Dwayne moved like lightning and smacked Will – hard – on the back of the head. "You brainless idiot."

"Ow!" Will sat up and glared. "She's supposed to be on that birth control shot."

"Dusty's pregnant!" Victoria shouted and leaped away from Will like he was diseased.

"Yes," he whimpered and slouched back against the couch.

"She's going to kill you." Victoria stepped up to Dwayne and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "What are we going to do with him?" she quietly asked the Marine.

The doorbell rang again and the Richards looked at one another and sighed.

"Come on, Carter," Dwayne said. "Let's go downstairs." The basement of the house was a weight room and small gym. There was also a table with chairs that the guys or girls used for poker nights.

* * *

Victoria headed to the front door and smiled when she opened it. As expected, Dusty Mehra stood outside with a furious expression on her face.

"Dusty…"

"Where is that son-of-a-bitch?" she growled as she strode in the house.

"Calm down, Dusty," Victoria said to her best friend.

"Don't tell me to calm down! How would you feel if you got knocked up because of a moment of weakness?"

"No one is dying in my new house." Victoria stood firm, blocking the door to the basement.

"Then let me drag his sorry ass outside."

"Please calm down." Victoria had never seen Dusty so out of control.

The Marine stomped over to sit on the same spot on the sofa that Will vacated. She also mirrored his position with her head in her hands. "My parents will kill me. Pregnant and alone. My career is over."

"Dusty!" Victoria ran over to slide her arm around the younger woman. _Hormones already? This is going to be a long nine months. _"Your career isn't over. Doctor Keller is still with the SGC and she's ready to pop."

"I can't be on a gate team and nine months pregnant." Dusty sat up and squeezed her eyes shut. "He ran. As soon as I told him, that coward ran."

"Finding out you're going to be a father is a big deal for a guy like Will," Victoria offered.

"I'm a fool." Dusty shook her head and her voice cracked. "Why did I have to fall for that idiot?" Her brown eyes connected with Victoria's shocked blue ones.

"You… You're…" Victoria couldn't believe it.

"Yes, I love Will Carter." Dusty seemed to be fighting off tears. "Don't ask me how or why, but…"

"You love me!" Will shouted as he whipped open the basement door.

Dusty leaped to her feet and rounded on Victoria. "You let him listen?"

"Cool it, Marine!" Master Gunny barked.

Dusty spun to shoot a glare at Victoria's husband and the blond Marine who won her heart.

"Take a seat, Mehra and Carter," Dwayne commanded.

The Marines listened to their superior and sat on opposite ends of the couch. Victoria had gotten up and joined her husband, looking down at the couple.

"You two have been going at this over a year. Everyone knows you are in love, so admit it and get the hell out of my house. My wife and I would like to enjoy what's left of the evening." Dwayne pulled Victoria close and gave her a squeeze.

She'd grown to know how to read her husband since they've been together. Dwayne was incredibly happy for Will, but his years of gruffness prevented him from telling him. The fact he didn't throw the father-to-be out the door on his backside spoke of the brotherly love between them.

* * *

The newlyweds left the room to finish cooking their dinner. They moved around the kitchen setting the small table for four. After about ten minutes without any sounds from the living room, they looked at each other.

"Is silence a good thing?" Victoria questioned.

"Not for our new couch," Dwayne said as he set his shoulders, put on his angry Marine face and stormed out the door with his wife hot on his heels.

Will and Dusty weren't on the couch. They were on a recliner; she was straddling his lap and they were engaged in a heated kiss.

"At least it's not the new couch," Dwayne said.

"That was my grandfather's favorite chair," Victoria shouted. "They're ruining it!"

The Marines pulled apart, both red-faced and panting.

"You heard my wife. Get out."

"My place?" Will offered as they got up.

"How about my car?" Dusty asked in a breathless voice.

"Isn't this what got you into trouble in the first place?" Victoria asked.

"She's already pregnant," Will replied as he passed by with a grin. "Nothing else could go wrong."

* * *

Dwayne was in the middle of a heated kiss with his wife in their bathroom. The whirlpool tub was bubbling and they both were clad in towels when a phone rang.

"Ignore it," Victoria said as she kissed along his jaw and down his throat.

"You realize Carter and Dusty probably got arrested for indecent exposure," Dwayne said as he reluctantly pushed her away.

Victoria growled and shook her head. She moved back so he could go into their bedroom and pick up the phone. His voice was low so she couldn't hear what was being said.

"MPs found them on the outskirts of the base."

"If you have to go fetch him from jail, he'll never be able to procreate again once I'm finished with him." Victoria's chest was heaving under her arms, causing her towel to loosen.

Dwayne's eyes shifted down from hers. He stepped up to her and slid his warm hands over her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. Her eyes slid shut and she caressed his bare back with her hands.

His mouth trailed kisses along her jaw so he could whisper in her ear. "I have half a mind to let you do it."

Victoria gasped when her towel fluttered to the floor. She was scooped up and deposited in the warm, bubbling water. The combination of water jets and her husband's strong, sure hands sent a shudder down her spine.

"But leaving him with a horny, pregnant woman is more punishment than we could deliver," he stated as he climbed into the tub with his wife.

"And I thought you were getting soft since we got married." Victoria squealed as he pulled her against his body. Her eyes widening as he settled her on his lap. "Nevermind. You and soft would never go together."

**Finished!**

* * *

**A/N: You didn't think I'd leave Will and Dusty unresolved did you? As for the cliched line... It is Carter and he loves to tempt fate.  
**

**Thank you all for your wonderful support. **

**Keep on the lookout for **_**Below Decks: Season One.**_


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